Silence is Golden
by K'ger
Summary: Link is a young thief notorious in all Hyrule, but, when war threatens to break out, he is unwittingly thrust into the fray. Sent out to collect the three spiritual stones, Link pays a terrible price for his journey, the loss of his voice. Loosely based on OoT. Mostly AU. Rated T for suggestive themes (implied) and violence. Link x Malon.
1. A hero doesn't take baths

A hero doesn't take baths

A fire flickered hot and bright in the fireplace of Princess Zelda's bedchamber, she sat in an elegant chair in front of the fire. Rain poured down outside the castle as Zelda sipped a cup of imported Terminian tea.

A tall man paced behind her, his mud-caked riding boots clicking on the marble floor. Zelda looked over her shoulder at him, annoyed.

"Calm yourself, Byrne, you're going to get mud all over." She said to him, glaring at the muddy footprints all over the floor.

"I can't calm down, Zelda! We're on the brink of war, and there's nothing I can do!" Byrne said, quickening his pace.

"Technically, there is something you could do." Zelda suggested,

"But I'm too important to go!"

Zelda looked at him tiredly,

"Then what _do_ you want?"

"I need a man who isn't afraid to die."

* * *

In Hyrule Field, a carriage clattered down the road, two horses, one brown and one gray, pulling it along. A dirty man with tattered clothing and filthy yellow teeth drove the pair. This was but a guise, for the cargo they were carrying was nothing less of Twenty-thousand Rupees.

As they passed a thicket of blackberries, the horses began to get nervous, tossing their massive heads and nickering to one another.

The driver looked around, he couldn't see anything, and clicked his tongue to urge them on.

The horses whinnied as something rocked the cart, the driver jerked his head around and glared over his shoulder at the cart, he still couldn't see anything, he flicked the reins and the horses sped up to a trot.

Several minutes passed uneventfully, Castle town was growing closer,

"Stop the cart." A cold voice hissed in the driver's ear, he could feel cold steel resting on his neck, he glanced down, the sharp end of a shinning dagger was sitting just below his chin. The driver pulled the horses to a halt.

"What do you want?" the driver asked,

"Where do you keep the food?"

"The…Food?"

"Where is the food?"

"In the second crate down and to the left."

In a flash he could hear a crate being ripped open, he glanced over his shoulder, the thief was tall and lithe, with dirty blonde hair and one blue hoop piercing in his left ear. He took an armful of food, stuffed it into a cloth satchel and jumped out of the cart in a single bound.

The last the driver saw of the thief was a streak of ratty green tunic running away. He sighed and flicked the reins again, driving the horses over the drawbridge that led to Castle Town…

The thief bolted down the road, heading for the nearby village of Kakariko, he dodged around a tall oak tree and broke into a sprint as a long set of concrete stairs came into view.

He was about to cross the bridge that led to the stairs when a sickening sound caused him to skid around to look at the path he had just taken.

Two Hyrulean Soldiers were riding toward him, he paled and looked around for a place to hide, tree? Nope, I'm not even gonna fool myself about being _that_ thin! He deduced, the only other option was the bridge. That'll have to do. He thought, jumping into the shallow river and plastering himself to the back of the bridge.

As the soldiers clattered slowly over the bridge, the thief could hear them talking,

"Did you hear about the new visitor at the castle?" one of the soldiers said,

"No, I've been on patrol duty for the last week. Who is he?" the other asked, the horses' hooves stopped clattering on the bridge, they had stopped to chat.

Oh come on! The thief thought, Move on! I can't hold this much longer!

"They say the new visitor is a prince of the desert, crazy name too, Ganondorf, I think."

"Why is he visiting? Don't tell me he's a suitor for the princess! She'd never take him!"

"No, I think he's here to sign a peace treaty, although I wouldn't be surprised if he did try to make some moves on the princess, boy do I want to see _that_ dinner conversation!"

"So why're we going to Kakariko?"

"You know that shipment of Rupees that just got in?"

"Yeah?"

"Well apparently, some good for nothing scoundrel robbed it at knife point."

"How much did he steal?"

"Supposedly he stole Two-Thousand Rupees!"

"I DID NOT!" the thief yelled, he then clapped both hands firmly over his mouth, he shouldn't have said that!

"Did you hear that?" one soldier asked,

"Yeah." The other answered; the thief heard the thud of someone dismounting a horse, then the clicking of boots walking over to the edge of the bridge.

The thief pressed himself even harder against the bridge.

After a few minutes, the thief could hear the soldier re-mount his horse and the horses trotting away.

The thief sighed in relief, kicked the ground and instantly regretted it, sloshed out of the river and made his way for the village…

Kakariko village was bustling today, jugglers were practicing near the entrance to the village, while carpenters were rushing about, some carrying large beams on their shoulders, others pushing wheelbarrows around.

The thief glanced around, making sure that there were no guards around, and strode through the town, ducking under one of the beams the carpenters were carrying and jogging up a little-used path.

He walked under a moss-covered archway and entered the graveyard. He slunk around the massive stone placard near the entrance and plopped down onto the ground to enjoy his spoils.

Sure, it wasn't exactly a great ambiance, what with the impending sense of death and the smell of rotting vegetables, but no one liked coming here, so it was safe for a thief like him.

He was about to bite ferociously into a small loaf of bread when an angered voice came from behind him,

"LINK! Did you steal _again_?" an old, hunchbacked man said, hobbling past the placard and glaring at the thief, it was Dampe, the gravedigger.

Dampe had worked as a gravedigger since before anyone could remember, people often avoided him because his looks, but to Link, at least, he was very nice. He always carried a shovel slung over one shoulder.

"Uh…No? I…uh…barrowed it."

"Link, if you keep stealing, eventually, you're going to get caught, and you know what they do to serial thieves, don't you." The old man made a slicing gesture across his neck,

"Oh, come on, that 'getting caught' stuff is for amateurs."

"If you're so desperate for food, you could always go and live with your family." Dampe suggested, Link dropped his loaf of bread and stared up at him,

"You know I don't get on with them."

"They have a saying about that, you know."

"About what?"

"Pride goes before a fall."

Link silenced the old gravedigger with a dismissive flick of his wrist,

"Oh, relax, I'm not gonna fall!"

A long, uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

"Link! Get out of here, NOW!" Dampe said, suddenly breaking the silence and looking back toward the entrance to the graveyard.  
Two soldiers were riding toward them,

"Ack! Why're they coming here? I thought no one came up here!" Link gasped, gathering up his satchel of stolen food and glancing around franticly, Dampe pointed toward one of the graves.

"Push that one out of the way and jump in, it's a secret passageway, I'll delay the soldiers. Be careful, there're monsters down there."

Link nodded and dodged over to the grave his friend had indicated, Dampe hobbled toward the soldiers,

"Can I help you?" he asked, putting the nose of his shovel on the ground and leaning on the handle, a woman rode out from behind the two soldiers.

Her hair was stark white, she wore a silver metal chest plate and a short sword was attached to her belt,

"Yes, I believe you can…"

* * *

Link jumped into the dark beneath the grave, it smelled like a mixture of death and wet, he reached out and felt the wall as he made progress. He jolted and leapt away as his fingers touched something different in texture, he took a breath and touched it again, it was a sword.

Link pulled the sword off of the bracket on the wall and continued down the dank corridor. He could hear a faint scratching sound up ahead, what was that sound?" he asked himself.

As he traveled, an eerie green light illuminated a wide section ahead of him, something large, with a hunched back and long legs, was silhouetted against the light.

His foot hit a rock and sent it tumbling down the hall, it made a loud THUMP and a THWACK as it hit something soft, Link stopped short, the rock had hit the something up ahead of him.

The something growled horribly and turned its gruesome head toward Link, he paled, realizing what the "something" was, this something, was a ReDead…

A ReDead was one of the most fearsome monsters known to man, with terrible, deformed faces, ugly, rotting gray skin and hunched shoulders. A mere wailing screech from one of these monsters was enough to paralyze any human, no matter how brave he or she may be.

The ReDead hissed at Link and took a couple of shuddering steps toward him, the monster swiped at him with one of its gross hands, Link dodged under and ran into the wide section.

There were four paths to choose from in the wide section, two going to the left, two going to the right, Link swallowed hard and dove into the first left path. As he ran, he suddenly smacked into something squishy, he looked up, a ReDead was growling down at him.

"Ok! Wrong path!" Link yelled, running away from the second ReDead and heading down the second right path. Luckily, there were no ReDeads down this path, dirty water dripped down the walls as Link sprinted down the corridor.

The water quickly began to grow deeper; soon Link was wading through knee-deep, brown muck,

"Yuck!" Link moaned, sloshing onward.

Suddenly, the water got lower until it was but a floor covering, Link looked around nervously, there was only one path to go down this time, it smelled of clean air, a welcome change.

This path went on for about fifty meters, a golden light shining at the end of the tunnel, there was a strange, rhythmic whirring sound filled Link's ears as he walked into the light.

He was standing on a ledge inside the Windmill in Kakariko Village, a strange little man was sitting on a stool below Link, playing a strange instrument, he jolted as Link leapt down next to him.

"Whoa! Watch it there, buddy! Give a person a heart attack!" the strange little man griped, "Who _are_ you, anyway?"

"Uh, no time, gotta go!" Link said hurriedly, running toward the door, flinging it open and rushing into the sunlit plaza of the village.

"Where do you think you're going?" a grizzly voice said, Link was grabbed by the back of his tunic, one of the soldiers was holding him,

"Hey! Let go!" Link yelled, thrusting his right foot into the soldier's stomach and breaking free, but someone else clobbered him in the chest, Link fell back, gasping, a woman with stark white hair was standing next to his legs. She tweaked his nose with the tip of a short sword.

"I've found you." She said, leaning down to examine him,

"Found me?" Link groaned,

"I've been looking for you for days! Apparently no one in this village has the same story about where the notorious thief Link resides." She said,

"What? Have you come to arrest me? You don't scare me, I'm not afraid too die."

The woman leaned in so close, her nose nearly touched his,

"That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here? Bothering me?"

The woman grabbed Link by the collar, lifted him with ease and carried him over to a pond near the entrance to the village,

"Hey! What're you doing?" Link protested,

"Against my advice, Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda, has selected you. You'll have an audience with her tomorrow, meanwhile, you need a bath." And with that, the woman tossed Link into the pond.

"I don't take baths!" Link yelled, surfacing with a lily pad on top of his head.

"Now you do." And in one swift movement, the woman leapt aboard an enormous white horse and galloped out of the village with the two soldiers following.

I hate baths! Link thought, he stared at the murky water as it started to bubble, a bar of yellowish soap surfaced and floated next to him. He begrudgingly swept the bar out of the water and began to scrub behind his ears…


	2. A hero forgets his manners

K'ger: WooHoo! chapter two! I'm actually surprised I made it here so fast! I'm also surprised that anyone was interested in this story. thanks for reading, please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own _the Legend of Zelda. _If I did, you'd be able to shoot Keapora Geabora.

**A hero forgets his manners**

"Good, you made it this far, lets see," the woman from the other day said as Link approached the drawbridge that led to Castle Town, she was leaning against the left wall. She took an experimental sniff.

"Well, you smell better than you did, I suppose it will do. Come this way."

The woman turned around and walked into the town, the morning mist was just beginning to evaporate as Link trotted nervously after her. In truth, he really didn't know why his was going along with this woman's plans, except, for the fact that he was, well, bored.

In five minutes, he was following the woman up a winding dirt path, she skirted him along the side of the path and pushed him along as he stopped

to look at something buried in the grass, it was the feather of eagle, his mind started churning, and for a moment, he was dead to the world, a memory playing in his head. Everything was dark, Link looked around, these halls had never been scary before, but now were. A tall man walked toward him, something large was perched on his shoulder. The "thing" let loose a screech, and Link cowered, the "thing" leapt off of the man's shoulder and flew on a pair of enormous wings, talons dug into his forehead…

"Get moving! We don't have time to look at grass! The guards will do their rounds soon!" the woman hissed in his ear, still pushing Link along.

Link struggled to look around at the woman who was pushing him, still waking up from memory world,

"If Her Royal Highness requested me specifically, than why do I have to avoid the guards?" he groaned, jumping out of the woman's grasp so as not to pushed along any farther, for her grip was actually quite painful.

Link was ushered up the winding dirt path, begrudgingly past the massive field of flowers, and across the drawbridge and into the castle.

The woman noticed that, strangely enough, for a commoner, this boy showed no awe in being inside of the castle, most visitors were taken aback by the sheer size, but this boy just followed her instructions and almost acted as though she were boring him.

"Stop there." She told him as they entered a courtyard, dissatisfied with how he was standing, she grabbed him by the shoulders, lifted him up and thumped him down where she saw fit.

"Your Highness, your choice in men is here, and might I say that he smells _lovely_!" she said sarcastically, walking away Link.

Sitting at the far end of the courtyard, on an elegantly carved wooden chair, was a beautiful woman like Link had never seen. She flicked a lock of her golden hair away from her sapphire-blue eyes and looked at Link curiously,

"What is your name, young thief?" she asked calmly,

"My name is Link, Your Majesty." He said, "if I may, I'd like to know why you've summoned me? If that's ok."

The princess smiled, and to Link, it almost looked like the kind of smile one donned when you knew an inside joke.

"Young thief, as you well may have heard, a desert prince is visiting the castle." She said an a tone that was the very essence of grace. Link nodded.

"Although he claims that he wishes to sign a peace treaty, I can see through his guise, he is planning a takeover. My soldiers are weak, and cowardly, I need a man who does not fear, you stood up to my handmaiden, Impa, I think you are the one I need."

Link took a step forward.

"Your majesty, bed my pardon, but I am nothing more than a lowly thief who has to pilfer his meals. I have no honor, therefore I'm not worthy of taking on this task."

"Do your fellow criminals not speak of 'honor among thieves'?"

"That is a completely different kind of honor!" Link says, his voice raising.

"But it is honor all the same."

Link jumped as the woman from before whacked his shoulder with the butt of her short sword.

"Young man, if you do not wish to undertake Her Highness' task, then I would be more than happy to escort you outside of the castle, where you would promptly be apprehended by the law, is that the fate you'd prefer?" Impa said, wrapping her strong fingers around the ratty collar of his tunic. Link wrenched his shoulder from her grip and gritted his teeth.

"Fine." He spat, "What've I got to do?"

Dark and cold, a man sat alone in his stately bedroom at the castle. The floor-to-ceiling windows were shut and the curtains drawn, the man tried to pay attention to the book he was reading, shivering as he did.

How do they _live_ with such cold temperatures? He asked himself.

A knock came at the door,

"Who is it?" he shouted crossly.

"Sir, I-its me, Byrne, is…this a bad time?"

"Come in." the man sighed tiredly.

"Lord Ganondorf," Byrne said, entering the room with a bow, "He's here, the princess' chosen hero."

Ganondorf looked up from his book.

"Really. Who is he?"

"Um, sir, he-he appears to be a wanted criminal, sir."

Ganondorf rose from his chair hauntingly.

"Well, let's go meet the little scamp then, shall we?"

Ganondorf swept out of the room with Byrne following close behind…

"Come this way please." Princess Zelda said, striding gracefully down one of the castle corridors, Link followed with Impa close behind him.

Zelda entered a room off of the main hallway and beckoned for him to follow, Impa closed the double-doors behind her.

The room was empty except for a single painting on the wall. Link had seen replicas of it before, it depicted three gemstones, one green, one red and one blue.

"These are the three spiritual stones," Zelda said, "The Kokiri's Emerald, the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. In order to prevent the war, I need you to collect these three stones."

Link glared at her,

"Is that all you want? Why don't you go and get it yourself?" Link responded saucily.

"I was getting there," Zelda sighed, "in order to set foot upon the sacred grounds where the stones are kept, a spell must be cast upon you to protect you from the curses that guard the temples. One cannot cast the spell upon oneself."

"So, I'm basically errand boy."

"Well, well, fancy seeing you here, Zelda." A silver-tongued voice said behind them, Zelda jolted around.

"Ganondorf," Zelda growled, "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I would come and see this lovely painting," he said, entering the room, "but, might I add that this masterpiece is shamed by your presence."

Link gagged, never before had he borne witness to such a blatant display of flattery. An uneasy feeling filled him as Ganondorf's gaze fell upon him.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"This is Link, he's here as an ambassador for his lordship, the Duke of Escorlan."

Her statement took Link aback, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Link has to be off now, and I have a few important matters to attend to before he leaves, so if you'll excuse us." Zelda said, Ganondorf nodded.

"Yes, of course. I have a few things to take care of as well…"

Link, Zelda and Impa stood at the drawbridge that separated Castle Town and Hyrule Field, Zelda was about to say something when Impa stopped her. She pointed at Link's satchel.

"What?" Link asked, Impa narrowed her eyes.

"Dangit!" Link muttered, reaching into his satchel and pulling out a gold vase.

"Thank you." Impa said, swiping the vase from Link's grip and turning, walking back toward the castle.

"Link, I have to warn you, the spell was developed specifically to test the individual who wishes to collect the stones. There is a steep price."

Link raised an eyebrow,

"Like I have a choice."

"Are you ready?" she asked, Link nodded. Zelda backed away from him and started chanting in a strange tongue. Link could recognize it as Old Hylian.

A golden circle appeared around Link's feet, and a fuzzy feeling started in his toes. As Zelda continued to chant, the feeling moved up his legs, past his stomach and into his head. The feeling disappeared as Zelda stopped chanting.

"The spell has been cast, you can now set foot in the sacred temples. You should go now."

Link opened his mouth to reply, and a shocked expression crossed his face. No words came out.

He tried again. Nothing.

Zelda sighed, wishing that she had told him beforehand.

"Now you know the price of the spell. In order to test the individual, the spell removes one of your greatest assets, your voice."

And so, Link set off for the Forest Temple, without any voice at all…


	3. A hero falls in mud

Disclaimer: I do not own _Zelda. _If I did, you would be able to shut Keapora Geabora up!

A hero falls in mud

Link yawned as he walked across Hyrule Field, he stopped as he realized that no sound had accompanied the yawn. It was still unsettling to try and say something and have no words to come out.

_Well, this figures, nothing can just go right for me, can it?_ He thought ruefully. It would still be days before he even reached the forest, and several days more after that.

As he walked, a shrill sound caught his attention, Link stopped and looked back toward the castle, trotting about thirty feet away was an enormous horse, the most beautiful horse Link had ever seen. It's coat shone like a statue of copper on a bright summers day, while it's white mane and tail sparkled like platinum. Then Link noticed the rider. Clothed entirely in black with a cape flowing over the horse's haunches was Ganondorf, he slowed his steed down to a graceful walk when he noticed Link.

Link turned back and continued toward the forest, very well aware that Ganondorf was heading in the same direction.

For several hours, Link traveled with Ganondorf keeping pace on the copper horse.

_He's following me_, Link thought, he looked up, the sky was turning fire-red as the sun began to set. _He'll probably try to kill me tonight._

That night, Link started a fire and sat beside it, eyes constantly flicking back toward Ganondorf, who was feigning sleep, Link could tell he was awake, he had learned to tell between fake and real sleep through many accidents and experiences. Not taking the time to snuff the fire, Link crept into the brush nearby, leaving an obvious trail.

Upon his return, Link was satisfied to find that Ganondorf had left in search of him. Then Link noticed that the horse was still tied to the fallen log she had been when he had left, an idea struck him. Cautiously, Link approached the horse, it whinnied nervously as he drew nearer.

Putting a gentle hand on the horse's neck, Link recoiled, the horse conveyed it's- or rather _her_- thoughts to him. _Who are you?_ She asked, Link couldn't believe his ears.

_My name is Link_. He thought, _what is your name?_

_My name is Epona_. The mare answered.

_Would you mind carrying me to the forest temple?_ Link asked the horse, _then you would be free to go wherever you want._

_Do you promise that I could go home?_

_I don't go back on promises._ Link assured her,

_If you're going to ride me, please, take off this stupid bridle, it hurts my mouth._

Slowly, Link pulled the rope free from the knot, Epona stood still for him as he removed the bridle.

_Ah, thank you, that feels much better._ Epona said, allowing Link to swing onto her back, as soon as he was settled, she started to trot toward the forest…

* * *

Epona had to slow to a cautious walk as they entered a dense section of the forest. Birds squalled at him as he got too close to their nests and several foxes bared their teeth as the stepped over their dens, one was even brazen enough to nip at Epona's hocks, sending her flying forward for a few moments before Link could calm her.

Link's eyes widened as they burst through a tall bush, before them, spread like a pair of massive wings, was a castle compound, in the early morning darkness it was stunning, with a flickering light in every window.

Link pulled Epona up by the mane, his stomach plummeted, and he paled considerably.

_What is wrong, Link?_ Epona asked, lifting her head to ease the grip he had on her mane. He was pulling a few of her hairs out.

_I never thought_- he said, Epona started making her way down the hill that led to the compound,

_No!_ He shouted in her mind, Epona cringed,

_Hey! Watch the volume! Everything said in mind speak is amplified!_ She whinnied, _why can't we go? I want to know who lives there!_

_Trust me! You don't want to meet them!_

_You know them?_

_I've been acquainted. _Link growled with disgust.

_Well, I'm going down there, you can stay here if you like, maybe if you're lucky, Moblin will come along and eat you!_ Epona snorted, trotting even faster down the hill. Link muttered rude words about Epona under his breath as she approached the main gate.

"Halt. Who goes there?" A guard asked, stamping the butt of his spear on the ground arrogantly. Now Link was in a conundrum. He didn't _want_ to talk to the guard, but he couldn't even if he _wanted _to!

"Speak when you're spoken to, boy!" the guard growled, but he could not scold much further, he was pushed aside by young woman, she looked up at him in disbelief, hazel eyes sparkling.

"Link! You're alive!" she cried, jumping up and tackling him, sending him tumbling off of Epona. The girl landed on top of him, hugging him joyfully.

"I can't believe it! You're alive! Everyone thought you were dead!" the girl yelled, her face suddenly contorted from joy to bubbling rage.

"Where were you? All these years you've actually been alive and you couldn't find the time to tell us that you were alright?!" she hissed, Link opened his mouth to try and apologize when he remembered, he can't speak anymore.

"What? Don't you have anything for yourself?" she demanded, the guard put a hand on her shoulder,

"Saria, save your sweet nothings for some other time, meanwhile, get inside, it's almost dawn, you know that's when they hunt." The guard said, pulling the girl off of Link and ushering her past the compound gates,

"Aren't you coming?" the girl asked, looking over her shoulder as the guard continued to escort her inside, Link stood up and started to shake his head "no" when Epona swung her rump into his back, sending him flying past the gates. She trotted in just before the gates closed.

_Why I ought to-!_ Link snarled inwardly, Epona whinnied, quite content with herself. Link resentfully stomped after the guard and Saria as they entered the main building, two stable boys began to tend to Epona, seeing to that she was unsaddled, brushed and fed.

The main building had four stories, the ground floor was devoted entirely to a single room, with marble floors and white-washed walls covered in paintings of stuffy looking old people. A stage stood at the far-end of the room, it was obviously a ballroom.

Saria ran toward one of the two spiral staircases that led to higher floors.

"Mrs. Wren! Toby! Conrad! Link's come back from the dead!" she cried, feet pounding as she stormed up the stairs. An entire crowd of people appeared at the top of the stairs, and Link could feel that all eyes were on him.

Before he even had a chance to run, people surrounded him, he looked around franticly, his mind having trouble processing as everyone vied for his attention, asking him questions and exclaiming about him being here and trying to hug him. He desperately wanted to shout, but again, he couldn't.

Suddenly, someone picked him up,

"Link! You're alive!" a tall, stout woman said, hugging Link too tightly.

He gasped for air.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Link." She put Link down, but didn't let go. She looked at him suspiciously.

"What's wrong, Link? Does your throat fell sore? You never were a quiet boy." She said concernedly as the crowd slowly began to dissipate until only Saria and two boys were left. Link still didn't answer.

"Can't you speak right now?" One boy asked, his hair was like a birds nest made out of fresh cut straw. Both the boys and Saria appeared to be around Link's age, somewhere in their late teens to early twenties.

"Yeah, Link, what's the matter?" The other boy asked this time, his hair was as black as night, and was tied behind his head in a short ponytail.

"I don't know what his problem is! He hasn't said a word to me since he got here!" Saria growled sulkily, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him,

"Maybe Link is just tired, or hungry!" Mrs. Wren said, "come along Link, lets get you some breakfast."

Link's face lit up at the thought of food, he was starving! Especially since he had had to cut his graveyard lunch short three days ago, and hadn't had a chance to eat since.

* * *

"That is disgusting!" Saria moaned, sitting across from Link at the breakfast table, (yes, this family was so rich that they had a table for every meal.)

Saria crinkled her nose disgustedly, watching Link eat. He was eating like a boar, sometimes not even bothering with silverware as he wolfed down plateful after plateful of eggs and sausage and potatoes and biscuits.

"Oh lay off him, Saria. He looks like he hasn't eaten this well since he disappeared." The boy called Tobias said defensively,

"Yeah, why don't you kiss 'em and get it over with!" the other boy, Conrad, joked.

Both Link and Saria recoiled in their chairs,

"Shut up, Conrad!" Saria yelled, Link would have done the same, except for the fact that his voice was gone.

Link then looked around the room, wondering where _he_ was, Saria could tell what he was wondering, so could Mrs. Wren.

"I'm afraid he had to leave on important business, dear." Mrs. Wren said, giving Link a sympathetic smile, Link glared down at his current plate of eggs, he stabbed them with a fork and chewed angrily.

"So, Link. Why aren't you talking? You never were quiet before." Tobias asked.

Link frowned, then, for once, stopped eating and stood from the table, he grabbed a piece of parchment off of an end table near the door, he also grabbed a quill pen and a bottle of ink.

Pushing his plate of food aside, her started writing quickly. When he was done, he handed the piece of paper to Saria, she read it aloud to Tobias, Conrad and Mrs. Wren as Link left the room.

**I can't speak because Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda put a spell on me to protect me from the curses on the Three Sacred Temples. war is secretly being waged on Hyrule by the desert prince, to stop it I need to collect the three spiritual stones.****I'm going to leave now, I have to go to the Forest Temple.**

**Also, I would never kiss Saria! How gross can you be, Conrad?**

Link could hear Saria screaming his name all the way down the hall, strangely, it didn't exactly sound like an angry scream.

He looked out one of the windows as he walked down the hallway, he groaned inwardly, it had started raining.

Opening the door, Link could hear thunder rolling in the distance, rain poured down on the compound.

"Link!" Saria yelled, grabbing his shoulder, he jumped, not expecting her,

"Link, please don't go, I've barely gotten to say hello to you, and now you're leaving again? Besides, the Forest temple, it-there's a lot of monsters there, and there's a demon, he attacks anyone who sets foot in the forest that surrounds the temple." Saria pleaded.

Link turned around and gave her a meaningful look, one that clearly said, "I have to go."

Saria slowly allowed her fingers to soften on his shoulder, he gently pulled away and stepped out into the pouring rain, Epona was waiting for him, tacked up with a full saddlebag, under the eves of the stable. Link mounted her with ease and steered her toward the compound gates, and within a minute's time, he was gone…

* * *

"He's going to die because of you, you know that right? Why did you have them all lie about you being gone? You never left!" Saria yelled, standing in front of a ornately carved mahogany desk, sitting opposite her was a tall man, with sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes, he looked to be around fifty years old, with light amounts of gray hair appearing in his hair.

The man didn't answer her.

"Its all your fault, if you hadn't have pushed him in the first place, he never would have left! Now he's heading for the Forest Temple! You know ShinRin will kill him! How can you be so callous about your own son!" Saria shouted, tears welling up in the corners of her hazel eyes.

"He is no son of mine," The man said finally, "if he cared about me or this place even the tiniest bit, he never would have left! He left me to fend for myself, with no heir to secure this estate!"

"None of this is his fault! This whole predicament your fault, and your fault alone!" Saria growled savagely, she then turned her back on him and left, slamming the door.

"Why did you do this Link?" the man said to himself, picking up a framed painting the stood on the back corner of his desk. It depicted a small boy, maybe six or seven years old, he was sitting next to a taller man with his likeness, the both were smiling, their hand were clasped.

"What went wrong?"

* * *

Link rode up a steep hill, Epona grunted and groaned, the grade was hard on her. As Link looked down at the ground, he realized why the horse was having trouble, the ground was hock-deep mud. Link jumped down to relive some of her struggle, and he started trudging next to her.

Something small and furry whizzed past him and startled Epona, she reared up, and knocked Link aside. He landed face-first in the mud.

_Uck!_ He thought, wiping the mud from his face, and standing up. He took control of Epona again and led her further up the hill, he stopped at the crest, the scene before him was horrible. Spreading before him was a massive plain of destruction, trees cut down, mud everywhere and the carcasses of several forest animals that had gotten too close.

_They're cutting down the forest._ Link thought, aghast.

Look Link, there's the Forest Temple. Epona said, pointing her nose toward the middle of the destruction, the temple stood there, walls covered in moss.

Epona and Link made their way down the muddy hill, which took some time, considering that they had to stop every so often to prevent themselves from falling. As they neared the temple, however, they stopped short, something roared inside the temple. The first thing they saw was a single, huge claw. Then another. And another. Until the entire beast could be seen, it was a massive insect, with eyes all over it's body.

The beast glared at Link, and Link could actually feel it's thoughts,

_Gohma, insect queen._ He thought, _but that's impossible! Gohma was killed one hundred years ago._ But here she stood, and with one swipe of her claw, she knocked Link down, Epona screamed and galloped out of range, leaving Link to fend for himself against the insect…


	4. A hero fights without a weapon

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda_, if I did, you would be able to erase Keapora Geabora.

K'ger: Hey again, here's chapter four already. I will admit that it is rather small. the events in this chapter are loosely based on things that happened in the _Studio Ghibli_ movie _Princess Mononoke_.

A hero fights without a weapon

Gohma hissed and clacked toward him, Link dodged as she swung a razor-sharp claw at him, the mud was going to be a problem, it slowed him down.

_Now what do I do?_ He thought, his heart rate raising as he came inches from losing his head, _I don't have any weapons!_

As Gohma lunged again, Link grabbed a stick and whacked her on top of the head. She screamed and staggered away for a moment, before lunging at him again, this time her claw connected with Link's shoulder, cutting through both cloth and flesh.

He stumbled for a minute as Gohma watched, his shoulder screamed with pain, and Link would have liked to do the same. He tripped over one of the many cut logs one the ground and fell, Gohma roared, pleased that she had taken down her pray, then lunged.

Link looked up just as Gohma loomed over him, but as she attacked, she fell back squealing.

Epona snorted triumphantly, stamping a hoof at the giant insect.

_Thank you, Epona._ Link told her, she butted his shoulder to rouse him, but he cringed, she had butted his injured shoulder.

_Sorry._

Epona allowed Link to hold onto her neck, she pulled him to his feet quickly as Gohma recovered.

Gohma charged them again, Link steeled himself, a sharp stick in his hand.

She screeched and fell backward, Link had stabbed the stick directly into her main eye.

Link and Epona watched in confusion as Gohma's body turned black and changed shape. There was a loud POP, and standing before him now was a giant boar. It's red skin was covered in wounds and scars, it limped forward a few steps before collapsing, shaking the ground as it did.

Link and Epona carefully took a step toward the boar, they quickly leapt backward as it actually spoke.

"Young boy, do you know who I am?" the boar asked, Link could only shake his head "no".

"I am ShinRin, guardian of this forest. Only a few short years ago this forest was lush and healthy, but as of late, the greed of man has severely injured it. I have taken many human lives, but only those who dared to attack this place, I now see that you have no wish to harm it, and I am sorry that I attacked you. It seems that the rage that swells deep inside of me is turning me into a demon, one that fights without honor. Please boy, I want _you_ to take my life, or else I shall turn into a demon and take innocent lives. I do not wish to do that." The boar said.

Link hesitated.

He recoiled as a sword slowly appeared in his hand, it's blade was pure silver, the hand guard was shaped like wings.

"Take this sword, it will aid you greatly on your quest. I must warn you, the guardians of the two other sacred temples have also turned into demons, I am afraid you may also have to take their lives." The boar explained. Link closed his eyes and drove his sword forward. He had killed ShinRin, God of the forest.

As the boar's body slowly melted into the ground, Link caught a glimpse of something sparkling within him, as the last of the boar disappeared, Link could see that, resting within the boar's body had been the Kokiri's Emerald. He took the gemstone carefully and put it in his satchel. _One down, two to go._ He thought.

Epona whinnied as Link swayed and fell, clutching a hand to his bleeding shoulder…


	5. A hero cleans up

A hero cleans up

Link slowly opened his eyes, his breath catching in his throat as he moved his shoulder, it stung with pain as he tried to move it.

"Finally, you're awake." Someone said, startling him, he looked over, a girl, probably his age, was sitting there. Her hair was dark red, and hung around her shoulder blades, while her eyes were bright green.

"That was quite a wound you had there, you're lucky I bandaged you when I did. Where did you come by that thing?" the girl asked.

Link didn't answer, closing his eyes, he hated not being able to communicate, the girl frowned at him.

"I have to ask, how did you end up with Epona?" the girl asked, Link re-opened his eyes, noticing that she had hung his satchel on the end of a chair on the other side of the room. He pointed at it, she cocked her head to one side and looked to where he was pointing.

"This?" she asked, getting up and grabbing the satchel, he nodded.

The girl handed him the bag, he sat up, pain surging through his arm and pulled out a book of blank paper, a quill and a bottle of ink. All things he had "barrowed" from the estate in the forest.

He held the book out to the girl, she read it, mouthing the words.

**I got the wound from a giant boar in the southern forest.**

**How do you know Epona's name?**

"Because she was _my_ horse." She said.

**She was your horse? Then why was the desert prince riding her? Are you one of his kind?** Link wrote.

The girl started to laugh upon reading his questions.

"Do I _look_ like a Gerudo?" she said in between laughs, Link shook his head.

"Epona was my horse up until a few months ago, when the 'desert prince' you were talking about came along and threatened to burn down my entire farm unless I gave him our best horse, which was Epona." She sighed, "but she seems to like you, she's told me all about you."

Link jerked his head toward her.

**She talks to you too?**

"What? You mean she talks to you?" the girl asked.

Link nodded.

"Well, what do you know." She mused to herself. A look of sudden embarrassment struck her. "Oops! I haven't introduced myself yet! I'm Malon, I run LonLon Ranch, which, by the way, is where you are right now."

Link yawned noiselessly, which confused Malon.

"Can't you speak at all?" she asked curiously. Link shook his head. The red-haired girl seemed to have an AHA moment

"Well that explains some things! I was wondering why you didn't groan when I was bandaging you, after all, I had to use alcohol, and that can make any grown man scream. Trust me, I should know."

Link swung himself out of the bed, Malon watched him carefully, he cringed when he tried to use his injured arm to open the door, Malon grabbed the doorknob for him and opened the door. Link nodded his embarrassed thanks.

The door led to a landing above the main room of the house, Malon led him down the stairs and outside. Link was relived to be outside again, he never had been a big fan of the indoors, there was something about being outside, the sounds, the sun, the breeze, he definitely preferred _outside._

Link strolled over to the large pasture at the center of the ranch. Several horses were grazing in the shade of a large tree, Epona was one of them, Malon came to stand next to him at the fence.

"Hey, can you whistle at all?" she asked, Link looked at her, in truth, he hadn't tried lately. He pursed his lips and blew, a straight, flat tune followed.

"Did Epona ever tell you about her song?"

Link gave her a quizzical look,

"I guess that's a no. Here," she started to hum, it was a simple little three-toned song, but it was easy to follow, and it caught Epona's attention, she whinnied when she saw Link. She trotted over to the fence and nuzzled Link's face.

Malon laughed as Epona got a little too excited and pushed Link over. Then a serious expression crossed her face, Link wasn't sure he liked that look, given what those kinds of looks had resulted in lately.

"You know, Epona really seems to like you, and we've been kind of short around here lately, how about you stay here while your shoulder heals? Can't take more than a week, and Epona would like that." Malon said, Link thought about this for a minute before shrugging.

"Great!" she said, clapping her hands together, then she got serious again, "If you're going to work here, it's time for you to clean up!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up and after her, she led him back into the house and through a door, it led to the bathroom. She pointed at the bathtub.

"First things first, BATHE!" she shouted, Link wanted to growl. _What is with these people and bathing?_ He wondered.

* * *

"Are you finished yet?" Malon called through the bathroom door, the door opened a crack, and Link glared at her, a towel tied around his waist, he blonde hair dripping wet.

"Good, now lets get on with business. She said, stepping into the bathroom, "Yowza!" she yelped as she saw the bathtub, a ring of dark brown muck lined the basin.

"You are _going_ to clean that later." She said, "Sit." Pointing at a stool. Link obeyed suspiciously, suddenly thousands needles scraped his head, he pulled away and glared at Malon, his face fell as he realized that the needles had only been the bristles of a brush.

_Now I remember why I hated brushing._ He thought.

By the time Malon had finished combing his hair, Link had made permanent claw marks on the bottom of the stool. Malon looked at Link's hair skeptically,

"You know, your hair is kind of long, how about we give it a trim. She said, brandishing a pair of scissors. Link leapt up from the stool, dodging the scissors and jogging out the door, he stopped in the middle of the main room, and his cheeks turned bright red, his towel had not come with him. Malon had not noticed, and followed after,

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she screamed, turning around quickly and covering her eyes, "By the goddesses! No one needs to see that!"

Link sheepishly grabbed his towel and re-tied it, this time tighter than before.

After a hard days work of being cleaned and working with horses, Link was allowed to sleep outside, by his request.

The next morning, Link yawned and got up, as he walked past a water bucket for the horses, he glanced down at his reflection, it took him a minute to register what he saw, his hair, which had been, as far as he remembered, just above his shoulders, was now cut to hang just above ears.

He could almost hear Malon giggling all the way in her bedroom...


	6. A hero gets caught

Disclaimer: I do not own _the Legend of Zelda. _If I did, Keapora Geabora would not exist.

K'ger: Hey again! I want to thank everyone who has favorited, followed and reviewed! I especially want to thank Link'sLily for the continued support, reviews and advice.

A hero gets caught

"Oh come on! You can't possibly _still_ be mad!" Malon groaned, lifting a bucket of grain and carrying it after Link, who held his head in the air, eyes closed and making his way for the pasture with a bucket of water, the bucket spilled all over him as he slammed into a wall because he had not been looking where he had been going. Malon started laughing.

"It's been five days, and you haven't said a word to me!" she said, Link looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

"Oh, right." She sighed, blushing, "I forgot, you can't speak."

Link got up and looked down at his wet clothes disgustedly,

"Well, at least now I don't have to have you filthy up my tub this week."

Link glared at her as he picked up the now empty bucket, he strode out of the barn and went over to the well, where he filled it again. Malon came up behind him,

"Look, I'm sorry I cut you're hair, ok?"

Link ignored her.

"Come on! I said I was sorry!" Link sighed and turned around, smiling his forgiveness, Malon returned the favor and then went to finish her chores,

"But you know, your toenails could really some clipping, and maybe you should shave that chin of yours!" she called, Link dropped the bucket again. He was getting tired of this. He sighed, filled the bucket _again _and brought it over to the pasture, lifting it over the fence and making sure it was in the shade, Epona trotted over to him and whinnied as he scratched her neck.

That night, Malon insisted that Link lay down on the grass near the pasture and look at the stars, she insisted that there was going to be a shooting star that night.

_ Can you hear me?_ He asked, thinking about her. Malon sat bolt upright, looking around.

"Did you hear that?" she asked, looking his way, Link sat up too, a shocked expression on his face,

"Well? Did you?"

_You seriously heard that?_

"Link? Is that…you?" Malon asked, scooting a little closer to him.

A happy but confused look crossed Link's face,

Link didn't know what to think, had he really just done that? Could he actually speak with her?

"Dangit! Don't scare a person like that!" Malon said, a little peeved.

_Sorry._

"Is that really what you sound like?"

_Yeah, I guess._

"Huh, I didn't think your voice would be so…" her voice trailed off.

_My voice is so what_? He asked.

"Um…nice." She said, blushing.

They lay quiet for a while, watching the stars.

"How do you do that?" she asked, rolling over to lie on her side, looking at him,

_ I just…can, I guess, I found out I could do this with Epona, so why not try it on you, and it works._

Malon thought for a moment.

"Good, now I can talk to you," she started, "do you have any family, Link?"

Link thought for a moment,

_Yeah, kind of, there's this one girl back where I'm from who's like a sister to me, she's the brightest person I know_, he told her, _but she's an idiot._

Malon looked confused.

_ Oh, she was great at math, knew lots of Hylian history, but, when it came to common sense_, he sighed, stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry, _zip, nodda, none_.

"Really?"

_Oh yeah! There was this one time when we were kids, we were going to play in the forest, and she was reading a book as she walked, she just kept walking until…WHAM! Ran right into a tree! It's not like the tree moved! It was there the whole time!_ He said, and then began to laugh for the first time in weeks.

Malon laughed with him. **He has a nice laugh**, she thought to herself.

"What about your parents?"

Link went silent.

_My mom died when I was six, _he said softly, _She was sick for a while, but then she was just…gone. I didn't even get to say goodbye._

"I'm sorry I asked." Malon apologized, Link shook his head.

_ Nah, its fine._

Malon scooted closer still, and after a few minutes, their hands touched. They both started blushing, although neither of them dared to look at one another. Link's hand gently clasped hers, Malon squeezed his hand back and pointed with the other. A bright white streak of light crossed the sky.

"I told you there'd be a shooting star tonight! I could just feel it!" she said happily, and soon after her side was touching his, she snuggled against him, making Link blush even more and stiffen.

Several minutes passed, and she had gone silent. Link looked over at Malon, she had fallen asleep…

Link woke up early in the field the next morning, and was shocked to find that Malon was still asleep next to him.

He was now left with a hard choice. He knew he had promised Princess Zelda that he would bring her the three spiritual stones, but, for a reason he couldn't quite explain, he felt a pang of sadness and guilt at the thought of leaving her. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to go, but he told himself that he was going to come back when it was all over.

As Link crossed Hyrule Field, he could hear Malon yelling "YOU DIRTY ROTTEN CHEATER!" he smiled, for some reason, the women around him tended to say things like that when he left.

Crossing the bridge to Kakariko, Link heard something strange, he turned his head, riding in the same direction as him were five soldiers, _huh, those uniforms look kind of familiar_, he thought. He shrugged and continued on his way.

The soldiers soon, overtook him, riding beside him, Link glanced over at them through the corner of his eyes, they were watching him too, he didn't like how this was going.

Link sped up, so did the soldiers, urging their horses to keep up with Link as they approached the concrete stairs, _if I can make it there, the horses will have to take the other path._ He thought, there was a path that horses could use to reach Kakariko, but it took almost an hour longer to reach the village.

He sped up even more, and the horses were urged into gallops, they surged past him and blocked his path, Link instinctively put a hand on the hilt of his sword.

The soldiers dismounted their horses and approached, Link couldn't help but feel like he recognized them, his eyes then fell upon the crests that were embroidered on the chests. It was the insignia of an eagle, talons gripping the body of a mouse. He backed away, the soldiers unsheathed their swords. Before Link could make a move, two of the soldiers had grabbed him by the shoulders.

Link desperately wanted to tell the soldiers a thing or two, but, of course, he couldn't talk. _Dangit this thing is a curse!_

The tallest of the guards had mean eyes and a hard face, a tightly trimmed goatee made his chin look even pointier than it was.

"So, we meet again, young rebel." He sneered, using one finger to lift Link's chin, "lets make sure its you."

The soldier used the other hand to pull away Link's bangs, revealing a scar that stretched from the top of his forehead down to his right eye, when he blinked, the solder could see that the scar made it all the way to the bottom of his eyelid.

"It's you all right." He spat, letting go of Link and pushing his head down. "Alright boys, lets go get our paycheck!" and with that, the soldiers turned Link around and started dragging him back toward the direction of the southern forest.

Link looked in the direction they were headed, and paled, there was a small group of people at the top of a hill, sitting astride a large bay horse, was a man with sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes.

He was forced to kneel when the reached the hill, the man on the horse dismounted and approached, Link fought against the soldiers, but they pushed him down.

The man raised his hand,

"Enough." He said, the soldiers reluctantly allowed Link to lift his head. Their eyes met, and the man knelt to be level with Link.

"Hello son…"


	7. A hero runs into a rock

Disclaimer: I do not own _the Legend of Zelda. S_orry folks, I can think of no other ill fates for Keapora Geabora!

A hero runs into a rock

Link stared up at this man, his father. He wanted to give him a piece of his mind, and opened his mouth to do so. No words came out.

To Link's great surprise, a brief look of concern crossed his father's face.

"Can't you speak?" he asked, Link narrowed his eyes. Why was his father acting so compassionate?

Link shook his head,

"Aldric, you've got your son, now I want my money." The tall soldier snarled,

"Yes, yes, very well, here's your bonus Seth." Link's father said, pulling a bag out of his pocket, it made chinking noises as the soldier swiped it from Aldric. With the greed of a starved raven, the soldier ripped open the bag, inside was a pile of golden rupees. His face cracked into an almost evil smile,

"Thank you, Aldric." The soldier sneered, stuffing the bag of rupees down the front of his shirt and striding away.

"Well Link, you're going home." Aldric said as though it were a good thing.

_ They're going to lock me in that house!_ He thought, his stomach seemed to drop out from under him at the very idea, _stuck in that house, with the very man who had driven him to leave, for the rest of his life? And more importantly, he'd never see Malon again!_

Link wrenched his shoulders free from the soldiers' grips and made a dash for freedom. Without a second thought and acting completely from his training, one of the soldiers drew his bow, notched an arrow and released.

"No!" Link's father cried, but it was too late, the arrow hit its mark, sinking deep into Link's left shoulder and wedding itself between his shoulder plates, Link fell, desperately wanting to cry out with his pain. Yet he had no voice to do so with.

He gasped silently, reaching in vain for the source of his pain. Standing up, he heard one of the soldiers yell, "Stop that, boy! You'll kill yourself!" Link could hear a soldier running toward him, and his flight instinct kicked in. he started running

Aldric turned to run to his injured son when something struck him on the back of the head, something metal, like the hilt of a sword. He fell first to his knees, then the rest of the way to the ground. His last conscious sight was of the soldier he had paid, smirking down at him as everything faded to black.

"Sir!" the other soldiers cried, he lifted a hand as another one of them started after Link.

"Let him go," he said, teeth flashing in a wild grin, "it's just that much easier if you goes and kills himself, less work for us..."

* * *

Link ran across the field, trying desperately to ignore that pain in his shoulder, _I just had to make it to Death Mountain. Huh, that's ironic._ He thought, _Death Mountain. _

As he ran, his feet began to slow, his breath would come in nothing more than short gasps, and the edge of his vision was going black. He just had to push through.

He crossed the bridge where he had been overtaken and sped on to the concrete stairs. By the time he reached the top, his legs threatened to give out. Blood had seeped down his arm and side, staining his tunic and pants red.

Link stumbled through Kakariko Village, but didn't make it much farther than the first house before he collapsed. Several people gasped at him, but Link didn't care at this point. Strangely, though, no seemed to care that he was the notorious thief everyone whispered about, all they saw was an injured man who needed help, and to Link's great surprise, help they did.

An elderly woman instructed the group, telling two boys to push him up so that he was sitting straight, while telling another young girl to go and fetch a blue potion from the potion shop.

As soon as the girl returned, the elderly lady took the potion and unstopped the bottle. Link snapped back into total consciousness as the potion hit his lips. It was, by far, the _worst _thing he had ever tasted, too disgusting to even describe! He chocked it down and gasped when he had finished the liquid, blue eyes wide and confused. _Why had these people just helped him? _He had been the one who had stolen their food and attacked anyone who tried to stop him, and yet, when he had needed it, they had helped him without any shadows of doubt.

As soon as he thought this, he threw his head back and bit his lip, eyes squeezed shut, the elderly woman had taken ahold of the arrow.

She held it steady for a moment, then pulled, Link screamed silently as the arrow left his body. The old woman pulled his tunic off of the injured shoulder and started bandaging him.

"Who are you, young man?" the elderly woman asked as she did, Link's cheeks turned a bit red, now they would surely regret helping him,

"He's Link!" one of the people in the crowd yelled, and, as he had suspected, fierce whispers broke out, but the elderly woman seemed unfazed.

"So you're the one who kept stealing our food." One of the men in the crowd said angrily, starting a barrage of heated comments.

"Enough!" the old woman yelled, raising both palms to the air, the crowd hushed uneasily,

"Yes, he stole your food and injured others, but only for survival and self-defense, and look! Look upon the back of his left hand." She said furiously, the crowd did look Link's hand, as did Link, and even he was surprised by what he found. Glistening on the back of his hand, streaks of blood sullying the golden color, were three golden triangles stacked like a pyramid. The crowd gasped and some even backed away, while Link could only wonder why he had not noticed it before.

"He carries the mark of the golden goddesses! He is one of the chosen!"

The crowd continued to stare until the old woman shooed them away, saying, "Go on! He's not your enemy anymore! Scat!"

Link pushed himself up and bowed his head to the elderly woman in respect.

"You are going to Death Mountain, correct?" she asked,

Link nodded again.

"Then take this," she said, pulling the strap of a satchel over her head and handing it to him, "I am a soothsayer, young man, and I saw that one of the goddesses' chosen was headed for our village. Inside the satchel are enough supplies to last you the trip up and down the mountain. But I warn you, you are not the only one with the sacred mark on their hand that is headed toward the mountain, one with an evil heart is heading there as well, and he plans upon your being dead. I think it best if you avoid any man you meet on the mountain…"

* * *

Link stood at the foot of Death Mountain, peering up at its lofty peak. _Great, I get to climb the tallest mountain in Hyrule! And all for some dumb rock!_ He thought, seriously peeved, he had never been one for climbing. It all seemed pointless to him, I mean-! _Why climb some dumb rock, risking your neck the whole time, just to turn around and go back down?_

He started trudging up the steep path the switch-backed up the entirety of the mountain. He couldn't help but glance down at his left hand every now and then. When had that appeared? Perhaps when Zelda had placed the spell on him?

At about three-quarters up the mountain, Link heard a faint rumbling. What is that? He wondered.

The rumbling got louder and louder, until Link had to stop, and really, really wished that he could scream. Barreling down the path, rounding the curve with a wild spin and heading straight for him, was an enormous boulder. The boulder gained on him. _It's going to kill me! It's going to roll over me and squish me!_ He thought, making a mad dash for cover, which happened to be a small inlet on the side on the path, he leapt into it seconds before the boulder rolled past. Link's jaw dropped as the boulder stopped mid-roll. Minutes passed, and neither Link or the boulder moved.

But, Link being a curious kind of guy, slowly crept out of the inlet and approached the boulder. He reached out tentatively and touched it with one finger, with a whooshing sound, the boulder leapt into the air, knocking Link backward. Link looked up from the ground, staring down at him was the strangest "rock" he had ever seen…


	8. A hero gets eaten

Disclaimer: I do not own _the Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would personally shoot Keapora Geabora with an ice arrow. (there you go, Twiliwolf13!)

A hero gets eaten

The strange rock stared down at Link with black liquid eyes, it had a large round body and short, thick arms and legs, Link jolted as the "rock" spoke.

"Hey! Darbus! Come here a minute!" The "rock" called, Link jumped as another boulder landed with a crash next him. Everything was still, the two "things" stared at Link.

"Why's it just standing there?" one "rock" said to the other.

"What is it? A rock?" the other "rock" said.

"I hope not, it doesn't look very tasty!"

"You touch it!"

"No! It's green, what if it's contagious?"

"Maybe we should just leave it alone."

"Back away, just back away slowly." The "rocks" said, moving away from Link and then curling into balls and rolling _up_ the path.

Link still stood where he had been before the "rocks" had left, _what the H*** was that?_ He wondered, starting up the path again.

Just as Link rounded the corner the "rocks" had disappeared beyond, something landed right in front of him, he staggered back, nearly toppling over the edge of the switchback path. When he had finally regained his balance, he looked at what had jumped in front of him, standing there, feet bare and eyes' glistening with curiosity, was a girl. She was probably a little younger than Link, maybe fifteen. Link's cheeks turned red as he noticed that her outfit was…revealing, to say the least.

Around her chest was a tight wrapping of shimmering red fabric, her skirt was made of the same fabric, it flowed around her ankles freely due to the wide slit that had been cut up one side.

"Whoa! A human! Haven't seen one of you in ages!" she said, walking right up to Link until her nose nearly touched his, she glared into his eyes with interest. Then she took an experimental sniff,

"You smell funny." She stated, her eyes moved on to his tunic, "and such odd colors! Why on earth did you splash this with green paint?"

Link looked down, as it turned out, his tunic was more red than green at the moment,

"Who are you?" she asked, Link couldn't answer of course, so all he could do was stand there as the girl looked at him expectantly, "uh…hello? Earth to human!" she waved a hand in front of his face.

"Ok, your Royal Buttness! I'm gonna give you five seconds to answer my question or I'm throwin' you over that cliff!" she snarled, "one." Link paled and started pointing at his throat and shaking his head.

This confused the mountain girl,

"What? Speak! You're human…I think."

Link drew a line across his neck and put out his palms, mouthing the words, "I can't speak!"

"Seriously, what is it? You…can't speak?" she guessed, Link let go of his breath and nodded,

"Really? Huh, that's weird."

Silence.

"So, what are you up here for?"

Link pointed at the top of the mountain.

"You're trying to get to the top of the mountain? Why didn't you say so! Come on, I know a shortcut!" the girl grabbed Link's wrist and started running, leading him over to the side of the path, stopping in front of a large boulder. She tapped the boulder, and it jumped up, startling Link, it was exactly like one of the "things" Link had seen before.

"Thank you, Darmani." The girl said, leading Link into a narrow tunnel the "thing" had been blocking. The thing stared at Link as he was pulled into the pitch black cave.

"You know, you're kind of stupid. I mean, why would you even want to come here right now, it's not safe on the mountain for humans right now." She said, having no trouble with the dark.

Link wanted to retort with, "then why are you here?" but of course, he couldn't, so he did what he always did anymore, stayed silent.

They emerged in a gigantic dome-like cavern, with several different floors below them and several floors above them. As Link looked around in wonder, he heard a familiar rumbling sound, a small group of walking "rocks" slowly passed, he caught part of their conversation.

"And it was the funniest looking thing I'd ever seen." He could hear them say, the group stopped and waved at the girl, then the "rock" that had been speaking stopped and pointed at Link with an astounded look on its face.

"Just like that!" it exclaimed, the girl looked back at Link.

"It looked just like that!" another of the "rocks" said, "oh, hi McKenna."

The girls' palm firmly met her forehead,

"Guys, you know that this is a human, right?" she said, the "rocks" looked astonished.

"Really? But…how? You're a human, aren't you, McKenna? it looks so different!"

McKenna sighed,

"That's because he's a _boy_!"

"Oh!"

Link watched as the "rocks" walked away.

McKenna could tell what Link was wondering.

"They're Gorons," She said without looking at him, "people of the mountains. Come on, I don't know why you're here, but if it has anything to do with this mountain, my dad can help you."

McKenna took Link by the wrist again and led him toward the edge of the floor they were on,

"Hold on!" she shouted, springing into mid-air and taking Link with her.

For a terrifying thirty-seconds, Link and the girl were falling. He didn't know what to think, the only thought in his head was, I've fought with a forest god, been shot with an arrow and escaped the law, and I'm going to die by the hand of a fifteen year old girl?

Link closed his eyes as the ground came closer.

A minute passed, and Link held his eyes closed,

"Hey! Sorry to interrupt your nap, but I don't have all day!" he could hear McKenna say, he opened one eye, and saw that he was still in the Goron City, and McKenna was glaring at him,

"You know, I'm don't think I like you! You're awfully lazy!" she said, something dropped him unceremoniously to the ground, as he looked up, it became apparent that a Goron had caught him before he had hit the ground.

They were on the bottom floor of the City, and the only place to go was a dark tunnel. Link could see the faint flickering of firelight somewhere beyond his point of view.

McKenna led him down the tunnel, which widened into a small room, sitting on a mat on the floor was the largest Goron Link had ever seen. It glanced up and, upon seeing McKenna, leapt to its feet and put it's arm around her neck. It rustled her hair with the other huge hand.

"Ah, you're back my daughter!" he said, letting her go finally, Link stared, this Goron was calling the girl his daughter. McKenna started laughing,

"What? Don't you see the resemblance?" she asked, Link shook his head, mouth agape and head leaning back slightly.

McKenna and the Goron started laughing again.

"She's only joking on you, boy! I found her when she was only a baby on the mountain, no parents in sight. She's my _adopted_ daughter." The Goron said,

"I don't know why he's here, dad, he says he can't speak."

The Goron looked at Link quizzically,

"What brings you here, boy? I am Darunia, chief of the Goron tribe. "

Link lifted his hand and displayed the Triforce symbol, McKenna and the Goron both stared,

"You carry the mark of the Golden Goddesses, tell me, are you the hero her Royal Highness selected to collect the Spiritual Stones?"

Link nodded.

"I see. Well, young man, I'm afraid I cannot let to you have the Gorons Ruby tonight, for tonight is the hundred year anniversary of the slaying."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, I assume you do not know the legends then?"

Link shook his head.

"Well, you see, for hundreds of years, Death Mountain was ruled by an evil dragon called Volvagia. That is actually how Death Mountain got it's name, for Volvagia would eat anyone who dared set foot upon his territory. What's more, Volvagia would call for a sacrifice each year on the summer solstice, he would select a maiden and, if he had not fed upon her by the moons' climax that night, he would go upon a mad rampage, killing anything in his path. One day, one of the Gorons had had enough, wielding the Biggorons Sword, he challenged Volvagia, and won, killing the evil serpent. So every year we celebrate the slaying of Volvagia by holding up the Gorons Ruby to the moon, knowing that it will not release a beam of light and select a maiden."

Link sighed, great, he'd have to spend the night on the mountain, I'm never gonna be able to sleep up here, the air's too thin!

"It's almost time for the ceremony, McKenna, why don't you take this boy to the viewing platform." Darunia suggested, McKenna nodded and grabbed Link's wrist again, dragging back through the tunnel to where they had landed.

McKenna walked up to a Goron that was standing there, bowed her head and said, "Viewing platform, please."

Link's breath hitched as the Goron grabbed them both, he swung around twice and tossed them high in the air, Link landed flat on his face, McKenna landed in a crouch.

_I hate this place._ Link thought, standing up, trying to ignore his aching body. They had been thrown to topmost floor, Link could see the moon through a large opening at the center of the dome, down below them, an enormous group of Gorons were gathering around Darunia. Slowly, he held up a shimmering red gemstone.

The Gorons Ruby.

The ruby began to sparkle wildly as a ray of moonlight hit it.

McKenna nudged his shoulder, which was still healing from the arrow wound, and made Link grimace,

"Do you hear that?" she asked, Link gave her an unsure look, then shook his head.

"You really don't hear that? That-that _hissing?_" she wondered loudly, a few seconds later, she doubled over a hand gripping her right arm at the shoulder, Link took a step back , she screamed in pain, and Link's eyes widened. The image of a fiery serpent curled around her arm, Link looked over the side of the viewing platform, the Gorons Ruby turned bright white, and then shot a beam of pure light up, it landed directly on McKenna.

Darunia had made his way to the platform within seconds, putting his large hands on his daughter's shoulders, McKenna looked at her arm and gasped, Darunia looked grave, one of the Gorons that had followed Darunia gasped and pointed at the girl.

"Look! She has the mark of Volvagia on her arm! The serpent has returned!"

* * *

"No! We'll fight him! I'm not going to let that infernal snake eat my daughter!" Darunia roared, pounding his fist into the wall of the cave. Link and McKenna stood at the back of the crowd, she fidgeted nervously as she rubbed her arm with a towel.

"Darunia, if we do not sacrifice the girl, then we shall all die!" one of the Gorons yelled.

"Then how about _you_ sacrifice _your_ daughter instead!" Darunia snarled in reply.

McKenna threw down her towel and ran out of the room, the only one to notice was Link, who followed closely behind.

McKenna ran down a path Link had not noticed before, it went on for about thirty yards before coming to the abrupt edge of a bubbling volcano. Link panted in the heat, but McKenna seemed unfazed, she made her way along the edge, heading for a temple that was built into the side of the mountain.

She reached out and grabbed the door handles, but leapt back with a yelp, the metal was burning hot. For the first time, she noticed Link.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, Link walked over to the door and grabbed the handles, ignoring the burning metal and throwing the doors open. He and McKenna entered together, the room was a single open platform with lava bubbling around them. The metal doors slammed shut, closing them in.

McKenna looked around, and threw her hands over her ears, puzzling Link. He didn't hear anything.

"Ahh! It hurts!" she groaned, her ears full of a high-pitched hiss.

They both recoiled as something burst out of the lava, arching above them, fangs glistening with anticipation, was an enormous dragon. Flames flowed from the sides' of the monsters' mouth and flickered down its back. It came closer, black eyes focused on McKenna, it licked its lips and snapped at the girl, she involuntarily dodged. Link ripped his sword from its sheath and slashed at the dragon, the tip of the swords' blade sliced into the dragon's cheek. It hissed and leapt away from the sword.

The dragon was now very well aware of Link's presence.

Volvagia screamed and flew around the room, deciding which of these infernal humans to eat first.

It decided on McKenna.

Link bolted toward the girl as she froze, the dragon clamped it's jaws shut and swallowed, the satisfaction of eating for the first time in one hundred years was very pleasurable.

McKenna fell on the ground, elbows scrapping on the rocky ground, she looked back to where she had been standing, not quite sure what had happened, it all clicked, and she screamed as she realized the Volvagia had eaten Link!

* * *

The sensation of being eaten was _not_ very pleasurable for Link. It was dark, it was wet, and it stank! For a few minutes, everything paused, the muscles of Volvagia's throat trying to get Link to move. An idea struck Link, and with a final bit of positioning, Link let himself be swallowed.

McKenna watched in bizarre amazement as Volvagia seemed to choke, and then she saw the tip of a sword burst through the dragon's chest, cutting it open from the inside out!

With one final desperate scream, the dragon fell dead, McKenna rushed over to the dead dragon's body, as she reached the corpse, the metal doors swung open and Darunia rushed in,

"Please father! Help me! Volvagia ate the boy!"

Darunia pushed his daughter gently aside and opened the dragon's body, McKenna reached inside and grabbed Link, pulling him, wet and shaking from the dragon's stomach.

Link gasped for air and panted as breath began filling his lungs again.

* * *

"And for saving both my people and my daughter, I give you the Gorons Ruby." Darunia said, handing Link the ruby. Link bowed his head and put the gem in his satchel.

"I suppose you have to go, so I will not hold you up any further."

Link nodded his thanks and left the Goron City.

"We never got his name." Darunia muttered.

"Link." McKenna whispered to herself, enjoying her secret, "Link."


	9. A hero has a nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own the_ Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I'd use the Megaton hammer on Keapora Geabora.

K'ger: Sorry y'all for not updating for a few days, I had a busy week of shopping, beach-going and Luaus! Aloha!

A hero has a nightmare

Link looked at the river. The river burbled and sloshed with the current, flowing from the northeastern corner of Hyrule. Link looked down at his bloodstained, dragon saliva covered tunic and body.

_I must be going crazy._ He thought, a clashing of ideals playing war in his head. With a wild leap, he jumped into the river and started scrubbing. _Since when do I care about personal hygiene?_

After thoroughly cleaning himself, he sloshed onto the bank on the other side, still unsure of what had possessed him to take a bath in the first place.

Rounding a curve, he saw an iron fence blocking the path on this side of the river, he glanced over to the other side, and there was no fence on that side.

_Ugh, I should've just stayed on that side of the river!_ He thought begrudgingly, before he could re-enter the river, someone called to him,

"Hey you, boy!"

Link turned, sitting against the iron fence was a portly man, with a bald head and beady eyes, one hand was clasped around a large bag, he reached in and ate something from within.

He spoke with his mouth still full of whatever he was eating, "How about some magic beans? They aren't selling very well, so how about ten rupees for a pod?"

Link shook his head,

"Now, now, boy, don't be so narrow minded! You don't just eat these! Here, I'll make you a deal, your first one is free, plant it where you want, I guarantee you'll be back for more!" the bean salesman said, reaching into the bag again and handing a multicolored pod to Link. Other than the coloring, it looked like a normal bean pod to him.

Link bowed his head, hoping to get away as quickly as he could, and dove into the river before the bean salesman could stop him.

The current on this part of the river was swift, and took almost all of Link's energy just to get to the other side, when he had reached land, he realized that the river had swept him back at least one hundred feet!

_Ok, O mighty goddesses, what, may I ask, did I do in my lifetime to deserve this punishment? Is this about that time I accidentally killed that cuccoo? That was an accident! Yes I ate it! But I couldn't just leave it there to rot! It would have been a waste if I hadn't eaten it!_ He thought, lumbering up the bank of the river again. As if willed by the goddesses in a cruel prank, the river picked up in speed and sent a wave of water crashing on top of Link.

He stood there, covered from head-to-toe in water as the bean salesman on the other side laughed hysterically.

Link looked over at the river, and glared at the bean salesman, he continued laughing. Link waved a dismissive hand and stormed past, following the river upstream. Zora's River curved through the mountainous region of Hyrule, making the trek up toward Zora's Domain a challenge for humans. Zora's could swim up the current, but humans could only follow the river and hope that they could find a safe place to rest at night. Link had never understood why people fretted over finding a place to stay, the faster you got to the Zora's, the faster you could leave.

Yawning silently as he walked up the bank of the river, the sun was low in sky, indicating that sunset wasn't far away. He followed the river for the remainder of daylight, and far after the sun had set.

By midnight, Link had made it three-quarters of the way to Zora's Domain, and he was exhausted.

Pushing onward and rounding another curve, Link came upon an enormous waterfall. It roared and sloshed and sprayed Link with mist. He climbed the ladder nearby, hoping it would lead to a path to Zora's Domain, but it only led to a platform in front of the waterfall. He glared at the ground, and noticed a stone platform, a song was written on it.

_Great, I have to sing? How'm I supposed to sing!_ He thought, for some reason, he was feeling quite irritable. Something told him he needed to rest, but he didn't want to, he wanted to be done with the whole endeavor of collecting the gemstones and fighting demons. He wanted to find some secluded place and just stay there for the rest of his life, be done with doing what other people wanted, actually do what he wanted to do. Stop catering to other people and pay attention to him!

He kicked the ground, seriously considering giving up on the whole thing.

"Who are _you?_" someone asked, Link jumped, looking around, he saw a pair of eyes glaring at him through the waterfall.

Link, of course, couldn't answer.

"Don't you know it's rude not to answer someone?" the voice retorted, something thin and bluish-green in color leapt through the waterfall and glared at him with violet eyes.

It was a Zora, Link had seen a few in Kakariko during festivals, (which was the best time to steal food!) but this Zora was different, with long flowing fins on it's arms and legs, encircling her like a skirt and feminine features. He could only assume it was female.

"No wonder my father talks ill of you humans, now I understand! You all must be incapable of communication!" she said, glowering at him with disdain,

"I would ask what you're doing here, but, since its obvious you can't speak, I won't even try!"

Link sighed, knowing that he'd have to display the Triforce again, he hated waving it around. He showed her, and she looked him over from head-to-toe.

"Ok, so you've got some sparkly triangle thingies on your hand, is that supposed to impress me?" she snorted, Link sighed, and opened his satchel, he pulled out the two gemstones.

"Still not impressed."

Link face-palmed, how was he supposed to tell this fish-woman what he needed to do?

Link pointed toward Zora's Domain,

"I'm not supposed to let tourists in, take my advice, leave!" she said, jumping back through the waterfall and out of sight.

Link looked at the waterfall again, maybe he could do that too.

He backed away, ran and jumped, the next thing Link knew, he was sitting in the shallows.

He was too tired to try anything else, and, crawling onto the first bit of dry land, almost immediately fell asleep…

* * *

Link was standing on a dais surrounded by water, floating in the water at the head of dais was the largest fish he had ever seen. And a tall man was standing in front of it, clothed entirely in black. He held a bottle of sickly purple liquid in his hand.

Link paled, standing before the fish was Ganondorf. He unstopped the bottle, which, for some reason, immediately made the fish jumpy. Ganondorf poured thick purple goop into the palm of his hand and shaped it like clay. Link watched, the fish looked up at Ganon, unsure. With a splashing of fins, the fish accidentally swallowed the purple goop as Ganondorf tossed it.

The fish floundered for several minutes, as if it were choking, then everything went still. As Link watched, the fish's eyes turned color, from blue to red.

Ganondorf laughed and snapped his fingers, vanishing into thin air.

And the last thing Link saw was of the giant fish leaping onto the stone dais, mouth agape, and ready to swallow him whole…

* * *

Link woke up in a cold sweat, panting, he grabbed the grass underneath him and growled silently, convincing himself of the fact that it had just been a dream. Now he was having nightmares. He hadn't had a nightmare since he was ten.

He sat up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking at his side, he found that, for some reason, there was a floating ball of light next to him. He squinted at it, it fluttered up and down, and he could hear the small beating of tiny wings.

He sat there and stared at the floating ball of light, it came closer to his face.

"What are _you_ staring at?" a squeaky voice asked, Link recoiled, had that shiny thing just said that?

"Yeah, I'm talking to _you._"

Link stared.

"What? Am I speaking _elf _here? _Hello_?"

"_Ugh,_ fine I'll introduce myself first, my name is Navi…"


	10. A hero is absent

Disclaimer: I do not own the _legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would use Farore's wind to send Keapora Geabora Far, Far away!

A hero is absent

Although the main house at Lon Lon Ranch was dark, a candle flickered in the one of the barn windows. Malon knelt in the straw beside an enormous dun mare, the mare lifted her head from the floor and squealed.

Malon wiped the mares' neck with a wet towel.

Within fifteen minutes, a new foal had been born. Malon cleaned out the foals' nose and mouth and dried its coat with a clean towel. It was a large colt, with what Malon guessed to be a bay colored coat and four white socks. The foal whinnied as it pushed up onto it's spindly legs, the mare stood up with it and nudged its shoulder, nearly pushing it over in the process.

Malon wiped her brow, midnight foalings were never fun, but the end result was well worth it. She never tired of watching a newborn foal take it's first steps, and the results were even more gratifying when she was there to help the mare through. There had been several occasions when she had left a mare alone for the night, only to come in the following morning to find a new foal, coat clean and already nursing.

Epona nickered in the stall next door, signaling that Malon was not to leave without paying her some attention. The red-haired girl sighed and stroked the mare's nose.

"You really miss him, don't you?" she whispered.

Epona nodded her massive head.

"Yeah, me too."

They both stilled as they heard a strange sound,

"Someone's opening the gates." She said softly, turning away from Epona and sweeping over to the barn door, she peaked through the crack. Someone was indeed opening the main gates, to Malon, it looked like a man. He was tall and thin, with his blonde hair cut short around his ears. Malon's heart jumped into her throat. She stepped out into the moonlight, he looked her way, and a charming grin curled across his lips.

"Link!" she cried, running over to him and throwing her arms around his neck.

She buried her face in his shoulder, overjoyed that he had actually returned.

"Link! I missed you!" she sighed. His arms wrapped around her waist. Malon stiffened lightly, it didn't feel the same, his grip almost felt harsh. And when Link had held her hand that one night, it had been the softest touch she had ever felt. It wasn't the same.

"I missed you too." He said, Malon jolted and leaned away from him, eyes wide with concern. When she looked into his eyes, she saw no emotion in them, there no sign of the mischievous sparkle she had seen before, nothing of the gentle kindness she had come to like, and even with the miniscule amount she had seen of it, she knew how to recognize it.

"You're not Link!" she snarled, trying to escape his grip, he only held her tighter, his upper lip lifted, revealing a set of silvery-white fangs.

"Oh, aren't you observant." He said in a malevolent voice, and then started laughing, it was nothing like Link's laugh.

He whirled her around and grabbed her wrists. He didn't seem to notice the splintering sound that came from the barn. He put his other hand on the back of her neck, and pushed her toward the gates. Something crashed through the barn doors and clobbered the fake-Link, Epona whinnied, putting her head over Malon protectively.

The fake-Link lifted himself off of the ground and wiped his mouth on his arm, leaving a trail of reddish-black blood. He snarled, his eyes glinting evilly.

"So you want a fight do you? I'll give you a fight."

He lunged, and Malon screamed as a dagger dug into her cheek. She fell back, hand to her gash, he smirked, and with a flick of his hand, sent Epona flying backward, she crashed into the pasture fence, breaking it in two.

"Who are you?" Malon demanded, he smirked,

"Me? I'm called 'Dark'…"


	11. A hero is mistaken

Disclaimer: I do not own _the Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would set a Wolfos on Keapora Geabora.

A hero is mistaken

"…My name is Navi." The fairy said, floating in front of Link's eyes.

Silence.

"Hellooooo?"

Link, again, remained silent.

"Oysht! It's like tryin' to talk to a Like Like! What! Is! Your! Name?" the fairy shouted, Link leaned away,

"Answer! You stupid human!"

Link pointed at his throat,

"You have a sore throat?"

Link shook his head.

"You…swallowed something you shouldn't have?"

Link dipped his head, this fairy wasn't a very smart one.

"You can't speak?"

Link nodded enthusiastically, relieved that fairy had finally guessed correctly.

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

Link glared at the fairy, not understanding how such a magical creature could be so dumb.

"Ugh! Of all the people Her Highness could've chosen! She chose the one guy in Hyrule who CAN'T SPEAK!"

Had the princess sent this fairy? Why on earth would she have, did she know that in order to enter Zora's Domain you had to sing? Maybe this fairy could sing in his place, although he was sure her singing voice would be no better than her normal.

"Hey! Listen!" the fairy squealed, bouncing off of his shoulders, he really wanted to say a few things to this annoying ball of fluff, but, alas, he had no voice. _This really sucks._

"Did you even hear a word I said? Or am I to suppose that her Royal Highness picked a deaf man as well?"

"All you hear is blah, blah, blah, isn't it?"

Navi floated around his head for a minute, and then flew up to a high ledge.

"Well? Are you coming or not?"

Link groaned in his thoughts, now, of all things, he was taking orders from a fairy. _I might as well lie down in front of the door and write, "Welcome. Wipe your feet" all over my face!_

He begrudgingly followed, climbing up the ladder as the sun began to rise and glaring at the fairy.

"I can't understand how you didn't figure this out, all you have to do is sing and the waterfall will slow down enough for you to jump through, it's not like the clues were well hidden, you're standing right on top of what you have to sing." Navi griped, Link just stood there, it wasn't like he could explain anything.

"Wait, you can't speak, does that mean you can't sing either?" the fairy deduced, Link nodded exasperatedly.

"I can fix that!"

Link looked up, could this fairy return his voice? His heart rate increased tremendously, hope filling him for the first time in weeks.

He watched as the fairy flitted around, muttering to herself and she looked at rock after rock. Finally she found one she liked and pushed it over, underneath was a dark hole in the ground.

"Hey! Jump in already!" she yelled, Link sighed, he personally didn't like underground places, but if he could get his voice back, it was worth it. He leapt in, darkness immediately enshrouding him. He landed hard, tumbling across a firm, gravel floor. Standing up, he could feel several cuts on his arms and forehead.

Navi floated in dreamily, and looked at him as if he were clumsy for not doing as she was.

"Boy, for a hero, you aren't very coordinated."

Link looked around, the only light was a faint glow that Navi was producing, the grotto was small, and the ceiling nearly touched Link's head, in front of him was a small treasure chest.

"Well? Are you going to open it? Or are you expecting me to open it for you?"

Link ignored the annoying fairy and reached out for the chest, he opened it and, unable to see inside, glowered at the fairy, giving her a clear look of disgust.

"Well you could say please!" she said, floating over to his shoulder. Inside the chest was an ocarina. It was light green and looked like it had been made by a child. He picked it up.

"Now you can play the song. So get going!"

And Navi flitted out of the grotto, leaving Link in the dark. _How'm I supposed to get out of here?_

After half an hour of scrabbling and scratching at the grotto walls, he finally made it out of the hole in the ground. Navi was waiting at the stone placard.

"Ugh! What took you so long? I've been waiting here for half an hour! Don't you know it's rude to make a lady wait?" she hissed, Link shook his head tiredly, he walked over to the placard and studied it, putting the ocarina to his lips, he played an experimental note, in truth, he had played the ocarina frequently when he was a child, but, having not packed it when he had left, had fallen out of the skill.

After a few failed attempts, he played a rough version of the song on the placard, and the waterfall slowed to a gentle wash. He was surprised it had actually worked, although he would have rather gotten his voice back than an ocarina, but it had worked, and the sooner he got the three gemstones to the princess, the soon he would get his voice back, anyway.

Link leapt into the tunnel and strolled along it, it was quite long, and the sloshing of water could be heard ahead of him. He emerged finally at an enormous cave, another waterfall flowed to his left, and several Zoras were resting on a rock in the middle of a large lake. One of the Zoras noticed him, and pointed as if he were a zoo animal.

"Hey! Look! It's a Hylian!" it said, jumping to its webbed feet and looking at Link with wide black eyes.

Another of the Zoras dove into the water, apparently frightened of him, while the third merely sat and watched.

Link turned and strode down the single path, it split in two a hundred feet later, one going up, the other going down.

Navi flitted toward the path that led upward.

"Come on! You need to go this way."

Link wanted to retort with "Who put you in charge?" but couldn't, and begrudgingly followed her up the path.

The path wound around a central pillar, up and up and up it went, and Link started panting near the top, forcing Navi to slow down.

When they reached the top, an enormous Zora immediately greeted them, he was tall and round, with wide set green eyes and he wore a red cape around his shoulders. Link walked forward onto the alter before the Zora, Navi bumped his shoulder.

"Bow, you idiot!" she hissed in his ear. Link resentfully obeyed, dropping to one knee and bowing his head.

"My, my, what is another Hylian doing here?" the large Zora said to an underling beside him, Link could hear the underling answer with, "I don't know sir, I thought _she_ was watching the entrance."

The large Zora turned his gaze to Link.

"What are you doing here, boy? I have a strict _no Hylian_ policy after the incident."

Link displayed the Triforce again.

"You bear the mark of the golden goddesses? How is that possible?" he asked the room, Link was confused, surely Princess Zelda had informed the Zoras that she was in need of the Zoras Sapphire.

"You try and jest me! The princess's chosen hero has already been here!"

* * *

Please R&R! I'd really appreciate it!

K'ger.


	12. A hero is eaten again

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would set off a Bombchu in Keapora Geabora's general direction.

A hero is eaten…again

_Malon was in his arms. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her neck, looking up at him from under partially closed eyelids._

_The sun shone down on them, warming them as they stood in the grassy pastures of Lon Lon Ranch._

_He hugged her tightly, watching as her long red hair swirled in the faint breeze, only making her look better._

_She leaned even closer to him, her nose inches from his, she batted her eyelashes at him. He leaned in, and with final tip of her head, their lips met…_

And then he woke up. Groggily, he lifted himself off of the stone floor, unsure of where he was. Looking around, he was in a small jail cell with bluish-green walls that dripped with water. _Oh, right._ He thought, remembering the week before. After being accused by the king of Zoras of being an imposter, he had been grabbed by two Zoras' (who were stronger than he had expected,) and had been thrown in jail.

He winced as he used his left hand to straighten his tunic, looking down, he gulped, thick, open wounds outlined the Triforce, barely scabbing over, blood still trickled from the injuries, but what worried Link was the greenish-white color that was beginning to appear inside. _Infection._

"So, who's Malon?" Navi snarled, flitting around the cell and waking him from his thoughts.

Link glared at her.

"Is she your _girlfriend?_ You were saying her name all night long, and near the end there you were puckering your lips."

Link shook his head, but his reddening cheeks betrayed him.

"I knew it! She _is_ your girlfriend! Link and Malon sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N._G_-!" she chanted, speeding around the cell as Link tried to grab her.

To Link's great relief, the passing of a Zora guard interrupted Navi's song. The Zora stopped and looked down at Link haughtily, Link stared back defiantly, baring his teeth like a caged wolf.

The Zora guard chortled as he walked away, leaving Link to his thoughts and an annoying fairy…

* * *

"What makes you so sure of yourself that you refuse to speak?" One of the Zora guards snarled, grabbing Link's hand and squeezing. His face ripped in pain, opening his mouth and screaming silently. The Zora gripped him tighter, Link's breathing hastened, and he closed his eyes, blood dripped from the wounds on his hand.

"Is he _still_ not talking?" King Zora asked, coming into the cell.

"Yes, he still refuses to talk. But Sire," the Zora guard squeezing Link's hand started, "I am starting to wonder if this isn't a real Triforce. Look sir, it won't fade with water, and even cutting the edges does not remove it."

The Zora King looked at him exasperatedly,

"Then what do you suggest? I've been stretched to my wits end, this man shows up, claiming to be the chosen hero, whilst the hero has already been here, and to top it all off, my daughter has gone missing without a trace! I will not be made to look a fool!"

Another Zora rushed in, panting and wheezing.

"Sire!" he shouted, the Zora King turned,

"Yes?"

"Sir! We have another Hylian here! And the hero himself has brought her, requesting that we keep her in our prison, but we have no cells other than this!"

"Then maybe this imposter will enjoy the company."

Link gasped and dropped to his knees as the Zora let go of his hand.

After a few minutes, the cell door opened again, but Link didn't even bother to open his eyes. Right now the only thing he could care about was the pain in his hand.

A feminine gasp woke him, however, and he looked up. A Zora pushed a young woman into his cell. Link's eyes widened, and Malon was thrown to the ground.

Link was up within seconds and was pulling her up, she looked at him for a moment, and then jerked away from him, plastering herself against the coral-like bars of the cell. Her eyes contained a fear Link had never seen before, but there was something else mixed in, a desperate hatred. Then he noticed a scabbing wound on her cheek. He reached forward, but she slapped his hand away, scrabbling against the bars.

_Malon, it's me! Link! _He said to her, a confused expression crossed her face.

"So you can you use mind speak too, huh? Still trying to fool me! Well, if you're planning on killing me, just do it and get it over with!"

_What are you talking about?_

"Oh don't play dumb with me Dark!"

_Dark? Who is Dark? Mal, it's me._ He said, trying to sooth her and not understanding her sudden anger. Reaching out to her again, she rammed a fist down on his chest, he faltered, but didn't move away. Malon looked up into his blue eyes.

**It's really him! **She thought, an instant wave of regret washing over her like an ocean.

"Link! I'm so sorry I hit you!" she said, burying her face in his shoulder, which she noticed silently was bandaged again.

"T-there was this other man! He came to the ranch! He looked just like you! He tried to pose as you, but I found out he wasn't you, and-!"

She stopped, her voice quivering, on the verge of tears.

Collecting herself, she continued,

"He kidnapped me, I guess it all ended up ok, I've found you, but what about the horses? I just hope that father and Mr. Ingo have made it there! One of the mares just foaled!"

Link stood still as Malon started to cry, putting his right arm around her shoulders.

She pulled away from him suddenly, as she did, Link noticed why, and slipped his left hand behind his back, trying to act nonchalant.

"Show it." She said, putting out her hand expectantly.

He refused.

"Let me see."

Link shook his head.

With a quick lunge, she grabbed his left wrist. The jig was up.

She went white as a sheet upon seeing his wounded hand.

"You're injured!" she snarled.

She would have scolded further, had another Zora not arrived.

Link stepped out to stand in front of Malon. The Zora looked around nervously, as if concerned that he would be caught.

Link backed Malon protectively against the wall as the Zora opened the door.

"I believe you." It said.

Silence.

"I believe you're the hero. The others' merely do not want to look like idiots for giving the Zoras Sapphire to an imposter. Her Royal Highness, Princess Ruto suspected the same, and, noticing the strange changes in Lord Jabu Jabu, went to prove her father wrong, and hasn't returned. I believe she wanted to barter with her father, you see, she was to be married to the Zora tribe's best warrior just yesterday, but she detested the idea of forced marriage, and I think she wanted to make a deal."

"What's the point of you telling us this?" Malon demanded, looking over Link's shoulder.

"I'm sure the King would let you go if you were to bring back his daughter. Follow me."

"Do we trust him?" Malon asked.

_I don't think we have a choice._

* * *

"Yikes!" Malon gasped, stepping out into the sunlight of the sacred lake behind Zora's Domain. Floating before a stone alter was the largest fish she had ever seen. Link cringed at the sight, painfully remembering his dream.

"So…what exactly do we need to do?" Malon asked the Zora. He handed her a dead fish.

"Thanks!" she said in disgusted reply, holding the smelly thing as far away as she could.

"Just offer him that, and he'll do the rest. Now, I'd better get going."

The Zora left in a hurry, Malon and Link were left, dead fish in hand, to approach the giant deity.

Smelling the dead fish, Lord Jabu Jabu squirmed for a second before opening his massive maw, revealing the darkness beyond. Malon wavered, somewhat frightened to approach. Link took her hand in his and nodded in a comforting way. She took a breath and started walking again.

The giant fish took a massive breath, and started to suck them in with it. Malon screamed, letting go of the dead fish to grab Link's other hand, but the other hand was his injured hand, causing his to grimace, not grip.

Losing strength, they were finally sucked into the closing mouth of Lord Jabu Jabu…


	13. A hero gets engaged

Disclaimer: I do not own the_ Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would feed Keapora Geabora to King Dodongo.

**K'ger: Wow. This chapter took FOREVER! I had a little trouble "entering the belly of the beast" if you will. do you know how hard it is to describe the inside of a fish? Anyway, here it is, I won't bother you anymore. Hey...why are you still reading this? go on! Read the story already! **

A hero gets engaged

Link landed with a soft thud on the squishy interior of Lord Jabu Jabu, dim light came from an unknown source, and illuminated the spongy pink insides of the fish. Link soon realized that he was covered in thick, globular saliva.

_Uck!_ He thought, trying to wipe his face clean with his hands, but they were just as dirty. Giving up on the attempt, he looked around, it seemed he hadn't been sucked much further than the fish's tongue, but what concerned him was simple: where was Malon?

_Malon? _He called, several minutes passed,

_Link? _A faint voice asked, somewhere far back in his mind.

Link was half-surprised that Malon could contact him through thoughts, he had thought he was the only one who could tap others' minds.

_Wow! I have to watch what think! I think I could get in big trouble!_

_What was that?_

_Oh, nothing._

Link's face turned to seriousness.

_Mal, where are you?_ He asked, going a few steps deeper into Jabu Jabu.

_I really can't tell! All I know it's some round chamber in this stupid fish!_ He could hear her say exasperatedly.

_It's all right, just stay where you are, that'll make it easier for me to find you._ He said, cracking his knuckles and striding down the fish's throat.

Stepping into the main chamber of Lord Jabu Jabu's belly, he started to notice that something was wrong, thick black goo seeped from the walls, turning flesh and membrane red and raw, irritating the giant fish. He gasped at the smell. It was like rotten eggs and burning meat.

"Hey!"

Link jolted, not expecting anyone to speak to him outside of his mind, his hand flew to his right shoulder, reaching for his sword, only to remember that the Zoras had confiscated it. He glared at where the voice had come from.

"You again?" the voice said, standing on an island of dry skin surrounded by bubbling green bile was the female Zora from before.

He let his hand fall back to his side, the Zora looked at him.

"Well? Are you going to help me or not?"

_What is with the women in this kingdom and forcing me to help them?_ He wondered, striding over to the edge of the bile and reaching out, the Zora grabbed his hand and squealed as he pulled her to him. Afterward, she wiped herself off, acting as if merely touching a human was disgusting.

"I guess I owe you now, don't I?" she said begrudgingly, Link shrugged, turning away and starting for a small tunnel he desperately hoped wasn't the bowels.

"And just where do you think you're going?" the Zora asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Link gave her a confused look over his shoulder,

"You weren't planning on leaving me alone, were you? My name is Ruto, I'm the princess of the Zoras!"

* * *

"Carrying me is a honor! You should feel proud!" the Zora said conceitedly, one finger lazily tracing Link's ears. Had he any free hands, he would've swatted her, (secretly, his ears were ticklish,) but he was to busy trying to navigate the intestines of a giant deity fish without being zapped by strange monsters the Zora on his back referred as "Bari."

Ruto readjusted herself in his grip, Link grimaced, she was putting a lot of weight on his injured hand. Together, they made their way down the intestine until they reached a filmy membrane that blocked the way. To Ruto's great disgust, Link dumped the Zora princess unceremoniously to the floor.

He tapped the membrane, it bounced against his hand, quizzically, he poked it harder, and a tiny tear appeared. He stuffed his fingers into the tear and grabbed, ripping it open without hesitation. Ruto screamed as the fish thrashed in pain, obviously the membrane was part of him, and Link had just ripped it to shreds.

Link felt a pang of guilt for hurting the fish, but couldn't spend the time to focus on it right now, the number one goal was to find Malon and number two was to get the heck out of that fish.

He stepped through the sticky, shredded remains of the membrane, entering a strange wide spot that, to the best of Link's knowledge of anatomy, should not have existed.

A scream caught his attention, in front of him, struggling against a tentacle, was Malon.

In the middle of the room was a mass of seething tentacles and stingers, several Bari floated around the massive parasite.

Link had to save Malon, but how was he supposed to fight without a sword?

_Well, you felled ShinRin with nothing more than a stick. _One side of his mind reasoned, _But, then again, that thing was on the edge of death anyhow, and besides, there are no sticks here!_

The mass of tentacles and stingers and Bari surged with energy, and a beam of pure electric energy pulsed through the beast.

"It's a Bio-Electric Anemone, like in the legends," Ruto said behind him, "you need to use a boomerang to defeat it."

Link looked over his shoulder at her, clearly conveying the fact that he didn't _have_ a boomerang!

"Don't tell me you didn't bring a boomerang!"

_Well I didn't realize I was going to be eaten by a giant fish!_ He thought, knowing she couldn't hear him.

Malon squirmed around in the tentacles' grip, seeing Link, she fought harder. One of the Bari detached itself from its master and floated toward him, it flicked it's stingers around and tried to attach to Link, he practically leapt out of his boots as a jolting shock ran through his body.

_Note to self: Bari are electric, shocking!_ He thought, trying to deflect the jellyfish without getting stung.

"Fine, obviously you were too dumb to bring a weapon." He could hear Ruto say, the Bari suddenly was thrown back and landed on the ground, dead. A small knife with a coral hilt protruded from the Bari's dead body.

"You can use my knife, but now we're even." Ruto said snobbishly, hands still on her hips.

Link grabbed the knife and pulled it out, purplish-red goo dripped from the shining blade. He settled the hilt in his grasp and set his jaw, _time to improvise!_

He squinted his right eye slightly, aiming directly for one of the Bari, he took a breath, and as he exhaled, threw. The knife hit its mark, killing the second Bari.

This method was almost as good as the boomerang, but the problem was simple, it didn't come back, he had to collect the knife each time. Thankfully, there were only three left Bari left, he could make quick work of them.

_You can do this. Do it for Malon._ He told himself over and over again, but for some reason, he was weakening, his breath was coming in shorter gasps and his heartbeat felt shallow. _Why was this?_

As he killed the last Bari, the giant anemone lashed out with one of its enormous stingers, Link had no time to react, the stinger hit one of the long, aching gashes on his left hand, sending shock waves through flesh and bone alike. He gasped, staggering desperately to keep his balance.

His vision was ebbed in black, his body was trying to give out on him_. Not now! NOT NOW!_ He scolded himself, looking up, he saw that three tendril-like appendages attached the anemone to the stomach of Jabu Jabu, writhing as energy was drained from the giant fish and flowed into the parasite.

"Those, attack those tendrils!" Ruto shouted, not realizing how close Link was to collapsing.

He steadied himself and held the coral knife out in front of him, he had to cut all three with one shot, that was his only chance. Again, throwing as he exhaled a stuttering breath, the knife hit its mark, slicing through the three reddish-purple tendrils. The anemone swayed as it's only source of balance was removed, collecting itself, Link cursed silently as the anemone actually started _spinning._

_Oh come on!_ He thought, dodging the stingers as Barinade, (which was what the anemone was actually called) tried to attack him again, chasing after as he ran sloppily around the chamber. Five more Bari appeared from nowhere as well, only adding to Link's frustration.

Ruto screamed as one of the Bari came close, Link grabbed the coral knife off of the floor and flung it, nearly slicing the monster in two.

"Uh…wow…thanks." She stammered, his sharp blue eyes catching her attention for the first time. They reminded her of the depths of Lake Hylia. She could feel her cheeks get hot.

Jumping up to dodge Barinade, Link slashed at the exposed top of the anemone and landed on the other side, almost immediately, he dropped to one knee, exhausted. Malon broke free and ran to him, trying to get away from the anemone as it shook and shivered strangely. Before she was even halfway there, there was a deafening BANG!

Looking up from their crouched positions, Link, Malon and Ruto found that they were all covered from head-to-toe in the…blown up…remains of Barinade.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW!" Link could hear both of the women groan. He stood up warily, vision still ebbed in black, but his job wasn't over, he still had to get Malon and Ruto out of the fish, and he still had to collect the Zoras Sapphire.

Noticing the Zora, Malon took Link's arm defensively as he walked them both back the way he had come, making their way for Jabu Jabu's mouth.

* * *

Strangely, as soon as the three of them made it back to the mouth of the giant deity, it opened, allowing them to exit. Waiting for them at alter was a floating ball of light.

"What the heck is that?" Malon asked, Link glared at Navi.

"Well your welcome!" Navi said, flitting straight to Link.

"Your welcome? For what?" Ruto snarled, the fairy zoomed over to the Zora.

"How do you think you got out of that fish? You seriously think you're that good? Ha! I had to bother that fish until he opened his mouth!"

All three of them ignored the fairy, stepping off of the alter, Ruto grabbed Link before he entered the tunnel.

He and Malon looked back at her.

"Hey, I…uh…just wanted say thank you, you know, for saving me back there…and…" she stopped for a moment, walked over to a rock submerged in the shallow water, kicked it over and picked up something shiny. She handed him the Zoras Sapphire.

"Here, you take it, I don't want it. I hid it when that strange guy showed up. My mom told me to give it to someone I…uh…admire, so take it, I'll distract my father."

* * *

"Daughter! You've returned!" the Zora King exclaimed, holding out his arms to Ruto, she begrudgingly allowed him to hug her, but only long enough for Link and Malon to sneak past.

"Goodness, now the wedding can go on!" the King realized, "daughter, where is the Zoras Sapphire?"

Ruto smirked almost evilly.

"I already gave it away." She said in her sweetest voice.

Her father was speechless.

The Zora warrior she had been set to marry fell to the ground in a dead faint...


	14. A hero is betrayed

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would insert a glitch in Keapora Geabora that would make him sing "I feel pretty."

A hero is betrayed

Link and Malon exited Zora's Domain quietly, Link ushering the red-haired girl along the bank of Zora's River.

"Hey, boy! Have you planted that bean yet?" the bean salesman called across the river as they passed, Link continued along, pushing Malon past, although she seemed interested as to what the man was even doing there.

"Who is that?" she asked.

_A horse trader. Keep going._ He answered.

They entered Hyrule Field, the grass swaying like waves on the ocean.

Link was about to usher her further when she turned suddenly.

"Link, you're being weird. What's wrong?"

_Nothing._

"Link, I can tell you're lying. I've worked long enough with animals that can't talk to know when something isn't right. It's your hand, isn't it?"

_I'm fine._

"No, you're not."

_I'm fine! _He said again, his voice raising. Malon looked a little hurt.

He sighed, and gently caressed her cheek with his good hand.

_Mal, the sooner I'm done with this job, the sooner I'm free._

Malon pulled away from his touch, startling Link.

"Free to do what Link? Die? Is that what you want? Because it isn't what I want!" She said ardently, clutching her hands to her chest. Link took a step back.

_What do you want?_

"Something you obviously know nothing about!" She said, turning her shoulder to him and closing her eyes.

_I won't die, I promise._

"At least let me take care of you wound?" Malon asked, turning back to him.

When I'm done, alright?

Malon shook her head,

"You are so stubborn, but alright, just…don't die."

Link pulled the ocarina out of his satchel and played Epona's Song. A few minutes later, the bright copper mare swung over the crest of a hill and squealed, increasing her pace and reaching Link within seconds.

She butted his shoulder and sniffed him up and down, apparently checking for wounds. She stopped at his hand, and then lifted her head, pinning her ears and glaring at him.

_You're injured._ She said flatly.

_I'm fine, can you take me to the castle?_

_Fine._

Link put his good hand on Epona's withers and was about to mount when Malon stopped him. He turned, only to have Malon lean forward and kiss him right on the lips.

Link went stiff for a second, totally shocked, but eased into it. It seemed to last an eternity before Malon pulled away. Link had a strange look on his face, a mixture of shock and bliss.

"Be careful." She said softly, backing away from him.

Link nodded, cheeks still flushed as he mounted Epona. With one final glance, he was off, galloping the mare bareback toward Castle Town. The horse's hooves pounded across the grass, sending small bits of ground flying as she bolted down the hill and toward the drawbridge.

"Hey! You! Stop!" one of the guards cried, running out to stand in his way. No unauthorized horses were allowed inside Castle Town.

Epona, think you can-? Link asked as Epona plowed on, hooves meeting the wooden bridge like a thunderclap, he didn't even get a chance to finish his question. With a surge of speed, the giant mare sprung into the air and leapt right over the guard's head.

The horse whinnied and tossed her head as she galloped into the Castle Town market. In the late afternoon, it was always busy. Throngs of people were milling around, looking at things to buy and talking with each other and generally being carefree. That was, until the giant horse came barreling through.

As Link rode through the square, he could hear many people calling him…bad names. _What do I care? The sooner I get this job done, the sooner I can tell them the exact same things._ He told himself.

Link and Epona slowed to a trot as they reached the winding path to Hyrule Castle. He knew there would be guards, and he was just going to have to barge through, because, of all things, how was he supposed to hide a _red_ horse in a _green_ field?

* * *

Princess Zelda sat at the elegant dining table in the great hall, resting her chin on a clamped fist as one of her guests droned on about his life story and the hardships he had to face because it was "so hard to find good help these days," Zelda tried to look interested. It wasn't easy.

She picked at the food on her plate, it wasn't to her taste. _Some kind of dumb Holodrum dish,_ she guessed.

As the duke, or lord or earl or whatever the annoying guest was started to talk about the son of his sisters' second cousin's ex-boyfriends' new wife, a castle soldier rushed in.

"Your Majesty!" he panted, trying to collect himself in front of royalty,

"There is a man here who has broken in astride an enormous horse, he won't stand down! What are your orders?"

Zelda stood gracefully from her seat, grateful for the excuse to leave the boring dinner conversation.

"What did he look like?" she asked, confusing the soldier.

"Uh…blonde hair, ratty green tunic…if I may, why do you ask?"

"Take me to him."

* * *

_Oh, you are so going to hear it when I get my voice back!_ Link thought, trying to break free of the soldiers' grips. Epona squealed and fought the ropes that now held her.

"Let him go." A gentle but commanding voice said somewhere out of his range of vision. Princess Zelda stepped out of the castle and strode toward the group of people, Impa close at her side.

The soldiers reluctantly released Link, he stood up, good hand firmly gripping the satchel.

They stood still, several minutes passing as they merely stared at one another.

"You got a haircut." The princess said finally, breaking the silence.

Link held out the satchel to her.

"You finished the job?" she said, taking the satchel and peering inside. Link, of course, didn't answer.

"Good. Come with me."

The guards watched in wide-eyed astonishment as their princess led the thief away from the castle, the large red mare following closely behind completely of her own accord.

Zelda led Link and Epona back into Castle Town, but instead going straight, she turned left upon reaching the square and strode up a small, concrete staircase, Link could see a temple of some kind on the crest of a hill in front of them. Epona stopped at the staircase.

She pranced at the edge of the stairs, whinnying as he started to leave her behind.

_Why don't you go home to Malon? She could use the company._ He suggested, waiting to see if the stubborn mare would obey. She swayed side-to-side for a moment indecisively before reluctantly turning her rump to him and trotting back toward Hyrule Field.

It was indeed a temple on the hill that Link had seen, with stained glass windows and a towering belfry. Zelda led him without a word, keeping the satchel close to her chest as she opened the door to the temple.

Link was ushered into a large, open room with vaulted ceilings and checkerboard tile floor. At the far end was an alter with three black velvet vessels. Zelda carefully closed the temple door and strode over to the alter and opened the satchel, placing each of the Spiritual Stones on one of the pedestals.

The stones began to glow, but as Link and Zelda watched, neither of them noticed the door to the temple opening, nor did they notice the cloaked figure slowly creeping up on them.

Just as the stones began to rise into the air, the cloaked figure overtook them, knocking Link to floor and pushing Zelda aside. The figure grabbed the stones off of the alter before anyone could stop him.

Link jumped to his feet and drew the knife princess Ruto had let him use, he had forgotten to return it.

"Who are you?" Princess Zelda demanded, drawing her own knife.

The figure began to laugh, and Link cringed as someone else grabbed his shoulder, he struggled around. Ganondorf smirked down at him from his towering height.

"Ganondorf! What kind of game are you playing?" Zelda growled, glaring between the two, Ganon and the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure put up one hand and pulled down the hood.

"What, couldn't you recognize me?" he asked as his face was revealed, Zelda went white. Byrne chuckled to himself.

"You traitor! How dare you betray me like this?"

"Betray you? HA! I was never loyal to you. The only one I serve is Ganondorf." Byrne smirked, Ganon pushed Link away and strode over to his assistant, taking the Spiritual Stones in his own huge hands.

Ganondorf laughed and held the stones in the air. Link was starting to feel very bad, his hand was aching, the arrow wound in his shoulder was acting up, and to top it all off, he couldn't remember eating for a week. But he leapt to his feet anyway, slashing the coral dagger at Ganon, Byrne jumped as well, knocking him back again.

Zelda made a grab for the stones, but was kicked away.

Ganon was suddenly surrounded by a gray-purple light, his laughter only strengthened, Link was about to charge again, but Zelda put out her hand.

"Don't. He's already won." She said in a reserved voice. Link gritted his teeth, feeling woozy. He collapsed a few minutes later, nearing unconsciousness.

There was a blinding flash of light, and then it faded, Ganon stood there, it seemed like he had grown another foot or two, as he towered over them. Somehow, the stones had disappeared.

"I have to admit, you are a smart young woman, Zelda. You figured out my plans." Ganondorf sneered, looking down his long hooked nose at the two of them.

"But, I'm afraid your choice in heroes could use some refining."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, fighting the urge to retort.

"And now, what a fitting place to kill the two people who stand in my way."

A sphere of dark purple energy appeared between Ganondorf's hands. Link's eyes snapped open.

Ganon released the ball of energy with a laugh, but just as it reached Zelda, she was pushed out of the way. The ball of dark magic hit Link just before he landed on top of her. There was a huge explosion, and the Temple of Time was destroyed…

* * *

"Your Highness!" Impa yelled, jumping over the pieces of rubble and speeding over to Princess Zelda's limp figure, to the guardian's relief, the princess coughed as she was lifted.

"Princess! What happened here?" Impa asked, Zelda looked at her, her eyes were somber.

Zelda looked around, Ganon and Byrne were gone.

"He won. Ganondorf stole the Spiritual Stones and used them to transform himself into a sorcerer."

Zelda looked down at Link's injured shape. He was barely clinging to life.

"He's dying Your Highness, leave him." Impa said callously, pulling the princess away from the rubble. "We must get you to safety."

What Impa and Zelda didn't know was that Link was not unconscious, and he watched weakly as the princess left him to die…

* * *

Epona walked slowly toward Lon Lon ranch, she shook her head as a fly buzzed her eye. I hate flies!

The red mare sped up to a trot as she saw Malon walking in the same direction, she whinnied to get the girl's attention.

"Epona? What are you doing here?" Malon asked as the mare approached, she went pale when a thought struck her.

"Link, he's not dead is he?" she demanded, Epona shook her head.

_He went up a set of stairs, I couldn't follow, so he told me to come here._

Malon sighed a sigh of relief.

"Good, I hope he comes to visit soo-AH!" Malon screamed, ducking down, Epona lifted up onto her hind legs, a loud explosion shook the very earth.

Malon looked up, and could see smoke coming from the Temple of Time.

"Link-!" somehow she knew that that explosion had something to do with Link.

"Come on Epona, lets go see what that man has done this time!" Malon said, jumping onto Epona's back and steering the horse toward castle…

* * *

**K'ger: Yeah, I know, bad kiss scene, never had to write one of those before. and yes, I ended it on another cliffhanger, I promise I won't do that on the next chapter, alright?**

**Please read and review!**

**Thanks.**


	15. A hero looses direction

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would turn Keapora Geabora into a fluffy pink bunny.

**K'ger: Yeah, so, this chapter is going to be a little less intense than the one before, but I had to have Link start to deal with some of his demons. and there actually is some fluff. not a lot, but some.**

A hero looses direction

_"__I don't want to just sit around in this boring old castle forever and be 'the perfect heir'!" the young boy cried, stamping a foot on the floor in frustration._

_A man with sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes slumped into an armchair tiredly, he looked at the little boy with a sigh._

_The boy glared at him, in truth, they looked a lot a like, he and the boy, but there were subtle differences. His eyes for example, were almost a piercing blue, unlike his crystal-like irises._

_ "__Link, I can't change this," the man said, running a hand through his hair, "you're my only child, my only heir, I'd love to let you do what you want to do, but I just…can't."_

_Link's lower lip quivered lightly, at eight years old, he was still full of hope and ambition. His greatest dream was to explore, see different places and meet different cultures. But being the only heir to Lord Escorlan, the highest nobility in Hyrule other than the Royal Family meant he probably wouldn't even be let to leave the estate._

_ "__But dad-!" he was silenced by his father with a hand in the air._

_ "__Enough, Link. If I had other children, I wouldn't stop you, but that just isn't the hand life has dealt us."_

_Link turned and walked out of his father's office. _

_ "__So? What did he say?" a little girl asked him as soon as he closed the door._

_Link looked at her, she had huge, bright hazel eyes. Her green hair was cut around her shoulders and pulled back in a ponytail. Her face fell upon noticing his expression._

_ "__Oh…" she said softly._

_A long silence stretched between them, neither knowing what to say._

_ "__You want to go play in the river?" the girl asked, Link looked up._

_ "__Sure, Saria…"_

* * *

Epona stopped at the drawbridge to Castle Town, hooves tapping on the wood, as she swung her head around, as if looking for something.

"Is something wrong, Epona?" Malon asked, following the mare's gaze.

_There was a guard here who tried to stop me last time, wonder where he went?_

"Maybe he's on break." Malon suggested, urging the mare onward.

The thick scent of smoke filled the pairs' lungs as they entered Castle Town, but that wasn't what made them stop, or what made Malon turn as white as a ghost.

Castle Town was destroyed. Houses were burning, the market was in shambles, and to top it all off, the only things that moved, were ReDeads. There were hundreds of ReDeads.

Malon fought the urge to scream, knowing that ReDeads were blind, if she could just sneak past them…

_Epona, you need to go back to Lon Lon Ranch_. She said, trying out her own ability to speak through her thoughts.

_Malon? You can speak like this too?_ Epona asked, holding deathly still in the presence of the undead monsters.

_Yes, and you need to go home._

_No, I need to stay and protect you._

Malon slipped noiselessly from the mare's back and stroked Epona's nose.

_I'll be fine, and I'm afraid they'd hear your hooves, please go home._

Epona nuzzled Malon's neck,

_Be careful._ The mare blew gently on the girl's face and turned away, walking carefully out of Castle Town. Malon watched as she did.

Turning back, she glared at the monsters shuffling around the town square. _Where is he?_

Deciding to check the Temple of Time first, Malon started her careful navigation. She had to go slow, or else her boots would betray her location, she nearly screamed once, as a ReDead came desperately close to touching her. That would have been the end, but luckily, she moved on before it had a chance.

Upon reaching the top of the small, concrete staircase that led to the Temple of Time, she was free of monsters, and sighed openly, wiping her forehead in relief. She really didn't like any monsters, but ReDeads were the worst.

Looking up from the charred ground beneath her feet, Malon saw the tattered remains of the Temple of Time. She had only ever seen the temple from outside, either because she didn't have time to visit or didn't want to intrude, but she could only imagine how bad this looked to someone who had seen inside. The only part that still stood was a crumbling wall corner, the stained glass window that remained depicted three golden triangles stacked on top of one another to form a pyramid.

"What does that stand for?" she wondered aloud, _three triangles_…something about that seemed familiar, like she had seen it somewhere before.

A memory came back to her after staring at the stained glass. Her mind went back to the dungeon cell at Zora's Domain. Link's left hand, wounds that formed the same pattern as the picture on the window.

Why does Link have that picture on his hand? Why would the Zora's cut that into his skin? She wondered, taking a few tentative steps into the rubble. Her eyes scanned the debris, and instantly caught a glimpse of green fabric.

"Link!" she cried, jumping over larger pieces of rubble in a mad dash to reach him, she knelt and examined him. He was covered in wounds.

Putting her hands under his shoulders and hefting him up, she feared for a moment that she was too late. But, putting her ear to his chest, she could hear a faint beating.

She lifted him unsteadily, and dragging him by the shoulders, made a terrible racket.

_Great, I should've let Epona come! How'm I supposed carry him through all of those ReDeads?_ She wondered, holding Link at the edge of the staircase…

* * *

_ "__Link? Are you alright?"_

_He looked up, dark circles under his eyes. He closed the book he was reading, one about the adventures of a young boy who had to ride around the kingdom and banish a strange, supernatural twilight._

_ "__Uh…I'm fine…*yawn*…just didn't get a lot of sleep last night." He said sleepily._

_Saria dropped the rock she had been about to skip and stormed over to him,_

_ "__Link! I know you don't like it here, but you have to sleep!" she snarled, surprising Link._

_ "__Its just…there's so much out there in the world. So much more than this dinky stretch of river we're allowed to visit and that stupid mansion!"_

_Saria just stared at him accusingly._

_He grabbed the book he had been reading and displayed it to the girl. They were both about twelve-years-old._

_ "__I mean, look at this book for example, the guy in this book, he had nothing but a job and a horse, and then his village gets attacked, and that all changes! He gets to go out and explore the world, go on a dangerous quest, fighting monsters and saving people, and at the end, has an epic battle with the bad guy, wins, and has the entire world at his fingertips!"_

_Saria scoffed at him._

_ "__That's a book! It'd never happen!"_

_ "__I don't need to go on a quest! I just want to be free to do what I want to do!"_

* * *

He opened his eyes groggily, staring up at a wooden ceiling. _Was he dead? Huh, this wasn't how I pictured…oh, I must've gone to the other place._

He closed his eyes again, resigned to his fate. A door creaked open.

He didn't bother to open his eyes this time, figuring it wasn't necessary.

Someone started making strange noises nearby, he cracked an eye open, he could see a wisp of bright red hair.

Malon leaned over him to reapply a bandage, not noticing that he was awake.

_You're here? Don't tell me, you over-dosed on chocolate after seeing me dead?_

Malon stopped short, and looked into his eyes, surprised that he was now awake,

"What are you talking about, Link?" she asked, confused.

_I'm dead, aren't I?_

"Dead? As far as I know you're still alive, but-" Malon started, she pulled up a wooden chair and sat down, looking at him with a steamed expression.

"You promised."

Link looked at her.

_Promised? Promised what?_

"You promised that you wouldn't die!"

_You just said I wasn't dead._

"Yes, you're still alive, but you wouldn't be if I hadn't found you! You know, about eighty-percent of you skin surface is currently bandages. Do you know how many parts of you I've seen that I really didn't want to see? It's a good thing I knew enough to know that that explosion had something to do with you, otherwise I never would have found you!" she said heatedly, Link sat up on the bed, it was the same bed he had been in when Epona had taken him to Lon Lon Ranch after the Forest Temple.

_Mal, I didn't mean to nearly get killed, it was an accident._

"Some accident, you were nearly dead from that wound on your hand anyway." Malon snorted.

The two of them went silent, Malon stood and started to leave them room.

"There's food for you on the table when you're ready. I have chores to do."

Malon left, closing the door behind her. Link slumped back down.

_Real smooth, Link, real smooth._ He told himself before getting up to go see what kind of food was waiting.

* * *

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Link was greeted by the intoxicating scent of food, food that was cooked, food that was cooked…by Malon!

However, in his intoxicated trance, he didn't notice the large, white Cucco standing right in front of him.

It squawked as his boot hovered over it, a different voice cried out.

"Watch out, M'boy! You almost stood on Tevuren!"

Link looked around, and saw that a large, tired looking man was sitting at the table. He had a kind face, with rounded features and dark black hair that was thinning around the top of his head. The Cucco he had nearly stood on ran over and jumped up to sit on the man's lap.

Link suddenly noticed that the main room was full of squawking, fluttering Cuccos.

"Well, come over here, Malon left you some food." The man said, beckoning Link to sit at the table.

He obeyed, and a plate of eggs and bacon was placed before him.

"So, you're the infamous 'Link' Malon has been talking so much about, though I must say, you've got her quite peeved right now. If I may ask, how close _are_ the two of you?" the man asked, Link shrunk down in his seat slightly, he didn't want to be rude, but he really couldn't answer.

He gestured at his throat.

"What is it, m'boy? Throat hurt?"

Link made a slicing motion across his neck.

"Oh, that's right, you can't speak, can you?"

Link shook his head, although he probably _could_ speak through his thoughts to the man, he kind of wanted to keep that as something he only did with Malon.

"Well, talking isn't everything, my name is Talon. Ah, I see you're done with that plate, why don't you go on outside and help Malon with her chores?"

Link nodded and slid off of the chair, heading outside.

Epona nearly tackled him as he reached the main compound. She whinnied happily and sniffed his hand, pleased that it smelled like it was healing.

Yes, I'm fine. He told the mare, stroking her muzzle. His eyes then darted to the pasture, he noticed a young foal sprinting around the field, he couldn't resist the urge to walk over to the pasture fence and watch for a while. Epona followed.

_When was that one born? _He asked the mare.

_About a week ago, the night Malon was kidnapped._ She answered, swishing her white tail at an annoying fly.

Link's shoulders drooped slightly, he felt guilty about not being there to protect Malon.

"So you noticed Shandy?" A soft voice said behind him. Malon was standing there, she walked up to stand beside him.

_Shandy?_ He asked.

"Shandy, the new colt. It means 'boisterous spirit'. I think he's the best foal we've produced since Epona."

She was easing into him again, talking about the horses seemed to relax her.

_I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm sorry I almost didn't keep my promise. I'm sorry that I-_

Malon silenced him by pressing her lips to his, one hand on his shoulder.

Talon, who had come out to check on Malon and the boy, smiled and turned quickly back into the house, preferring to leave them alone.

Pulling softly away, she smiled mischievously.

"You talk too much." She said. Link raised an eyebrow.

I talk too much? I can't even talk. He said. Epona swung her rump into Link, pushing him forward, his lips met Malon's again.

* * *

_Link was standing in out in the open. The wind sent golden-yellow sand flowing over his boots._

_He covered his mouth and nose with the side of his arm, squinting as a dark figure came into view on the horizon. It was a horse and rider._

_Coming closer, Link could start to make out small details. The horse was tall, probably close to 17-hands tall, with a dark black coat and wild-looking red eyes. The rider was wrapped in a thick black cloak, but Link could still tell that he, if it was a he, was tall as well._

_With a thud, the rider dismounted the horse. Link took a step back as the rider drew a long black rapier from a scabbard at his hip._

_His ears picked up the sound of hooves pounding across the sand. Epona came galloping toward them, positioning herself between the Link and the rider._

_Before Link could react, there was a sickening squeal. Epona flailed, finally rearing onto her hind legs and falling backward. A deep, bloody cut stretched from mid-neck to lower haunches._

_No! He cried in his head, mouthing the word silently. It was still clear what he was saying._

_He knelt by the huge mare, her breathing was ragged and shallow._

_He looked up, and the rider was looming over him, he pulled the rapier back. With a sudden gust of wind, the hood of the rider's cloak was blown off, Link paled, it was his father._

_Aldric swung the rapier, the tip of the blade cut into Link's torso…_

* * *

Link sat bolt upright, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He panted, his mind still trying to remember where he was.

It was dark, he looked around, his breathing still fast and heavy. He was in bed again, he could faintly remember going to bed that night. Something warm was against him, he looked down, and went stiff. Malon was curled up, back to him, in the same bed. H could feel his cheeks staring to burn red-hot. He stayed still for several minutes, not sure what to think.

"You alright?" Malon asked sleepily, startling Link.

Uh…yeah, sure… he stammered, thoroughly embarrassed.

Um…might I ask what we're doing in the same bed?

He could hear Malon snort, obviously amused.

"There are only three beds. You needed a bed, dad was already asleep, Ingo refused to give his up, and I certainly wasn't going to get a crick in my neck sleeping on the floor." She answered. "Now go back to sleep."

Link slowly lay back down, cheeks still red. Malon shifted closer.

"Link?" she asked.

_Yes?_

"What are you going to do now? I mean, you're done with that quest."

Link thought for a moment, not really sure. He hadn't gotten his voice back, the princess had left him to die, and Ganon was the new ruler of Hyrule.

I…don't know. I…really don't know.

"Why don't you stay here? Epona really likes you, and so does dad."

What about you? He asked mischievously.

She went silent.

"I guess I could live with you being around, as long as you take regular baths."

* * *

**K'ger: No, that was not the end of the story, and, unless those naughty little plot bunnies start playing games with me, we're about halfway there!**

**Also, I'd like to shout out to Link'sLily, I really suggest that you read her story Shhh. it'd probably be considered a little darker than mine, but it's great! read it if you get the chance!**

**(Btw, did you like my Twilight Princess reference? yeah, Twilight Princess comes AFTER Ocarina of Time, but I just couldn't help myself. The door was wide open, I had to go through it!)**

**You know the drill, please read and review!**


	16. A hero is manipulated

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda._ If I did, I would lock Keapora Geabora in a secret grotto.

**K'ger: Hey, everyone, I just wanted to make sure everyone knew, in this following chapter, there is a word that I've made up, ****_Aponia._**

**Pronounced: A-po-ne-a.**

**Me being dyslexic, this is actually how I used to say Epona's name when I first started playing Ocarina of Time at age five. anyway, enough about me! on to the story!**

**Oh, and I'd really like to thank Link'sLily! you've helped me so much! I can't say thank you enough!**

A hero gets manipulated

Link yawned, eyes still closed. He was enjoying the sensation of not having to wake up on a schedule, he liked knowing he didn't have to go to some remote corner of the kingdom to fight a demon. He also liked the fact that Malon was next to him.

He, however, was _not_ expecting the sensation of fingers on nose. He opened his eyes, and a small face was staring back at him.

A little girl with Malon's likeness was staring back at him.

_Um…Malon? Is there anything you want to tell me?_

Malon didn't look at him, she just sighed.

"Tell you? …*Yawn*…what do you mean?"

_Uh… well, if you could perhaps explain why there is a little girl sitting on my chest right now? One that looks a lot like you._

Malon laughed softly and rolled over, looking at the scene with her own eyes.

A little girl, with long red hair and huge blue eyes, was sitting on Link's chest, staring at him. She poked his cheek with a small finger.

"That, is Romani, she's my niece."

Romani giggled and jumped off of Link, dancing around the bed to stand by Malon. She folded her arms and leaned on the bed, giving Malon the best "serious" expression she could manage.

"Auntie Malon? Who is that guy? And why is he hugging you?" she asked, Malon smiled.

"That is Link, and he thinks he's being cute."

It was then that Link realized that his arms were around Malon. He pulled away, jumping out of the bed and grabbing his tunic off of the chair.

_Aunt? You're an aunt?_

"Yes, she's my sister, Cremia's daughter. Cremia lives in Labrynna."

"Why does he have bandages all over his front?" Romani asked, skipping over to Link and looking up at him with wide, curious blue eyes.

"He has all of those because he doesn't listen." Malon sighed, getting out of bed and, walking over to him, grabbed his wrist and shooed him from the bedroom.

_What? What did I do?_ He asked, standing with the little girl clutching his leg on the landing.

"I have to get dressed and do a few things. You can do me a favor and make breakfast for Romani." Malon said, closing the door.

Link looked down at the girl, and started slowly down the stairs, the girl giggled and ran past him, making her way for a large white Cucco, arms spread wide.

When she reached the Cucco, it went wild, running around the room and sending feathers flying everywhere. Link, knowing Cuccos, grabbed the girl around the waist and hoisted her up before it could attack her.

Romani glared at him.

"You're no fun."

Link put the girl on a chair at the table, pointing a finger in a gesture that clearly meant, "Stay put".

She obeyed begrudgingly as Link set about cooking eggs. Although he wasn't fluent in the skill, Link still knew the basics of cooking, and ten minutes later he set a plate of scrambled egg in front of her.

She poked them with her fork, unsure of what this strange yellow substance was.

Malon came out of the bedroom, dressed in her normal work dress and thick leather boots.

"Romani, eat your breakfast." She said, pointing at the plate of eggs.

"What? Didn't you cook breakfast for everyone?" Malon asked, looking at the otherwise bare table, Link had just finished washing the frying pan.

_You didn't say "cook breakfast for everyone"! You said, "Make breakfast for Romani". _He retorted, collecting eight more eggs from a basket on the counter and starting to scramble them two at a time in the pan.

As Malon and Link sat down to eat, the front door opened, and a short, lanky man stepped in. He had small, mean-looking eyes and a tightly trimmed mustache. He glanced at Link with uncertainty as he sat down at the table with a thud.

"Who're you?" he asked, glaring at Link.

"That's Link, Mr. Ingo. Link, this is Mr. Ingo, he helps take care of the horses." Malon answered, looking over at Romani, she frowned.

"Eat that!" She told her, pointing at the scrambled eggs.

"I don't wanna! They're weird, and squishy!"

"They are not weird, they are good for you, and if you don't eat them, you can't go outside and play with the horses."

The little girl immediately brandished her fork and started stuffing the crumbling-yellow food into her mouth.

So, w_hy are you taking care of your niece?_ Link asked, one of the benefits of talking with thought was you could eat and talk at the same time and not be rude.

"Her mother and father are on their second honeymoon, they needed some time to…" she stopped, glancing down at the little girl next to her.

"To be A. L. O. N. E." Malon spelled.

Link nodded, understanding what she meant. Romani looked at them, confused.

"A. L. O. N. E? What does that spell?" she asked.

"Nothing, dear."

"Nothing? Is that how you spell nothing? I thought it started with an N."

"No, dear, I mean it doesn't spell anything. Link and I are just…playing a game."

* * *

"Link, could you watch Romani for a bit? For some reason, dad wants me to go with him on a day trip to Lake Hylia. I wanted to bring you all, but he says, "no, no, just you. Think of it as a father-daughter trip, you know, just like the ones we used to go on when you were little'." She told him, impersonating her father's voice.

_I guess so, I'm not horrible with kids, but when do you think you'll be back?_ He asked, not noticing as the little girl flopped down to stare at a butterfly sitting on a flower.

"We _should_ be back by sunset, but knowing my father, probably noon tomorrow."

Link started to fiddle around with the collar of his tunic. That was asking a lot, he didn't have a lot of experience with kids, and taking care of one for twenty-four hours without anyone to help was a little bit scary.

_Sure, I can handle it._ He answered, trying to be suave.

"Good, thank you so much!" Malon said, walking over to him and kissing his cheek before she turned and hurried back into the house for supplies, knowing her father wouldn't pack anything.

Link looked down, and noticed the little girl lying at his feet, staring contentedly at a butterfly.

_How hard can it be? I've fought demons and survived dark magic, taking care of a kid for a day should be a cinch!_

* * *

"Ok, so, pretty much just watch her and make sure she doesn't get trampled. She should get lunch in about four hours, and she needs to be in bed by eight, got all that?" Malon asked, looking at Link.

He nodded.

_Got it. Lunch, bed by eight, don't let her get trampled._ He reiterated, trying to look cool and collected in front of Malon.

"Thank you, hopefully we'll be back soon."

Malon mounted Epona, who was somewhat torn, wanting to stay by _both_ of her favorite people.

Link, noticing the look Epona was giving him, smiled back at her.

_I'll be fine, you just take care of Malon. _He told the mare.

Talon scrabbled onto the back of a dun gelding and kicked him forward.

_Be careful and have fun! _He called, waving goodbye as the two horses and riders began to disappear from view.

"Mr. Link? Can I go pet the horses?" Romani asked in a sweet, innocent voice. Link looked down at her and nodded.

The horses all looked up as Link approached, after a few days of knowing him, every single one of them associated him with food. He opened the gate and ushered Romani inside, following closely behind.

Shandy was standing near his mother, staring at the extremely small human, who, incidentally, was staring at him.

**Momma, why is that human so small?** He asked, his mother lifted her head from the grass she had been contented to eat.

**That is because she is a foal, just like you.** She answered, nudging her colt's shoulder. **Why don't you go over and play with her?**

Shandy took a few cautious steps forward, and Romani's face lit up.

She reached out her hand and the small foal sniffed her. She giggled and fell back, the foal whinnied and pranced around, beckoning the "Filly" to follow.

"What is going on?" a snide voice said from the barn door, Link looked over his shoulder. Ingo was standing, pitchfork in hand, just outside the barn, glaring at him and Romani.

"That…child should not be in there! Those horses are worth too much!" he said, skewering the pitchfork tongs in the ground and striding over to the fence. Link grabbed Romani under the armpits and hefted her up.

"No, I don't wanna leave yet!" She said sadly, Link walked through the gate and closed it, glaring at Ingo as he strode into the house.

Link placed Romani in a chair, she sat there dejectedly, chin on the table.

Link set about finding food, after a few minutes, he had amassed two pieces of bread, leftover scrambled eggs and, somehow, there was a leftover piece of bacon, (which was a quandary. Since when was there such a thing as leftover bacon?) He rolled with it, though, and soon had fashioned it into sandwich.

The little girl glared at the sandwich. Link pointed at it.

"I'm not hungry." She whined.

Link sighed, picked up a knife and cut off the crusts.

Turning to grab an apple from a basket near the door, he smirked when he heard the little girl pick up the sandwich and start eating…

* * *

Link yawned silently and sat up, straining his ears. A slight clinking sound was coming from outside.

He threw back the covers and got out of bed. Through the window he could see that moon was high in the sky, close to midnight. _Was that Malon?_ He wondered hopefully, striding down the stairs and heading, bare-chested, for the door.

He opened the door and looked toward the gates, the bright moonlight glinting off of the metal. The gates were wide open, so was the barn door.

_Malon? Is that you?_ He called, walking over to the barn and stepping inside, he glanced around. _Ok, this is weird, there's no one here._

He walked a few steps further, and, noticing that one of the mares was awake, stroked her nose.

Something creaked, he stopped short, listening carefully.

Something cold touched his neck, he knew the feeling all to well. It was a knife.

Cold, slender fingers gripped his shoulder and urged him to move, he obeyed, cursing himself for not bringing a weapon.

He was moved back outside, where ten people were standing, in front was Ingo.

Link examined the others, they were all women, with bright red hair and sharp amber eyes, even in the moonlight, he could tell that they were Gerudo. They glared at him arrogantly.

"Sir, this one was wandering around the barn. What do you want us to do with him?" the Gerudo holding him asked. Ingo smirked, walking toward Link.

"Kill him."

Link could feel the knife press harder against his neck.

A scream halted them, and Ingo started to laugh. Link went pale. _Romani!_

"Let go of me! Help!" he could hear the little girl scream from the upstairs bedroom. Link thrust a kick into the one Gerudo's stomach. She let go and doubled over, gasping as the air was knocked out of her. Link grabbed the pitchfork out of the ground and used the handle to knock several of the Gerudo away as he rushed for the house. Entering, he could see the silhouette of two people, one of them was Romani.

_Let her go!_ Link thought, sprinting over to the little girl and, with a hard punch, knocked the Gerudo away and grabbed Romani.

Exiting the house, Link was stopped by Ingo and the five remaining Gerudo.

Link hefted Romani onto his shoulders for protection.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ingo sneered.

One of the Gerudo warrior lunged.

A flash of bright red stormed through the gates, nearly trampling the group of warriors. Epona neighed franticly, stamping her hooves on the ground and turning in circles.

"Aponia!" Romani cried, mispronouncing the mare's name.

_Epona? Wh-what are you doing here?_ Link asked, Epona threw her head and stormed Ingo, chasing him off of the ranch. The Gerudo warriors fled into the night, scattering.

_Epona! What is going on? Where is Malon?_

The enormous mare panted heavily and let her head droop.

_I still couldn't stop him!_

_Stop…him? What are you talking about?_

Epona looked at Link with dark brown eyes.

_Malon's been kidnapped again._

* * *

_Go Epona! Take me to her!_ Link told the mare, holding Romani tightly as Epona sprinted across Hyrule field, heading south.

Romani squealed happily, thrilled to ride Epona, her favorite horse.

Epona zoomed down a path and headed straight for a tall metal fence. She leapt it in a single bound and sprinted onward, careening through a narrow valley and emerging at the giant bowl that was Lake Hylia. The water sparkled in the rapidly depleting moonlight. Epona took Link down to the waters' edge. Talon was standing there, pacing.

"Link? Is that you?" he asked, Link leapt off of Epona and handed Romani to the older man. For some reason, Talon gave Link a disdainful look.

"Where is my daughter, you rotten liar?" Talon yelled.

_Dark._ Link thought, _whoever he is, he must have done this._

"Link didn't do anything!" Romani said, defending Link.

"Didn't do anything? He kidnapped my daughter!"

"No he didn't! We got attacked at the ranch, and then Aponia came and got us. Where is Auntie Malon?" Romani asked.

"Well, whoever did it, he took her across the bridges and down to that strange stone platform." Talon answered, pointing to the island in the middle of the lake.

Link reached into Epona's saddlebag, knowing the Malon had packed a knife. His hand hit the hilt, grabbing it and jogging backward as he settled it in his palm.

_Epona, watch these two for me, I have to go! _He told Epona, sprinting off past the lakeside laboratory and bounding onto the rope bridges, sending them swinging as he ran across, feet pounding on the boards.

He skidded to a halt upon reaching the small island. A large tree stood at the center, near it's roots stood a low stone pedestal with the Hyrulean Crest.

As he approached the pedestal, he could see something dark against the tree.

The dark figure of a man appeared, his knife glinting in moonlight.


	17. A hero chases his shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own the_ Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would lock Keapora Geabora in the Gerudo fortress.

**K'ger: Ok, so the plot bunnies started playing games with me, and I didn't like the last chapter seventeen anyway, so I deleted it and this is the new version. Also, Its very important that you read the last six or seven lines of chapter sixteen, 'cuz I changed those too! **

**And finally, from this point onward, this story is going to get a lot more original and a lot less canon, basically because, despite my best effort, I can't work the sages into the plot, so they won't be making any appearances other than the very end.**

**sorry if that disappoints anyone, but if I made Link save every one of the sages, this story would be Seventy-Gazillion words long! **

A hero chases his shadow

"Well, well, well. Took you long enough." A cold voice hissed. The figure jumped over the pedestal, coming into the bright moonlight and revealing his face, with dark black hair cut to hang just below his ears and sharp, angular features. His eyes blazed hard crimson.

Dark. Link thought. To his dismay, Malon was nowhere in sight.

"What's the matter hero? Can't find your damsel? Oh, too bad, and she was so pretty." Dark teased, Link bared his teeth angrily and brandished the knife. He lunged quickly, knife whistling through the air, Link jolted as Dark grabbed the knife by the blade. Link stared, mouth agape at Dark. The shadow smirked as his own blood dripped from the blade, he didn't even seem to feel pain.

Link dropped the knife suddenly, gripping his own wrist. Looking at his palm, he watched as a deep red gash cut through his skin, completely on its own.

Dark started to laugh.

"What? You didn't see that coming?" he sneered, Link looked up from his stinging hand.

"A human and a shadow are like two sides of a coin, polar opposites, but one cannot live without the other. You see? Any wound you give me, you'll end up with yourself."

Dark raised his right hand, revealing an upside-down Triforce symbol, it glowed dark red in the strange lighting. Bright white scars lined each triangle, mirroring the scars Link had on his left.

"So, it makes sense that, if you kill me, you'll be killing yourself in the process!"

Dark sprung at Link, digging a black knife into his left shoulder.

Link gasped and staggered back, a similar wound appeared violently on Dark's right, his blood dripped, purplish-black onto the ground.

"Fun game, isn't it?" Dark snarled.

_If you'll die as well, then why are you trying to kill me? _Link thought, trying to contact Dark, Dark stopped his assault suddenly, a resolute expression crossed his face.

"Because I have to." He said, plunging his knife toward Link's chest, he fell backward, avoiding the blade.

Link rolled out of the way of another blow and jumped onto the stone pedestal, he looked up as a loud clattering sound came from the bridges, Epona was galloping toward Link and Dark, whinnying as she leapt the final few feet and landed squarely between Link and Dark. Epona snapped at Dark, her teeth clamping down on the shadow's wrist.

Both Dark and Link staggered back in pain of the horses' bite. Epona glanced back at Link, unsure of what she had just done.

_I suggest you don't do that._ He told the mare, she let one ear drop in confusion.

Link looked over the red mare at Dark, who had a strange, faraway gaze, as if he were seeing something that Link couldn't.

"Yobidasu Kage." Dark said suddenly, holding out a flat hand to the horse. Epona reared up, hooves striking the air as a loud ripping sound filled their ears.

The shadow underneath Epona's feet surged away from her, causing another loud rip, the mare fell backward, nearly landing on Link. The two of them looked up, and looming over them was the enormous shadow of Epona. The shadow mare reeled backward with an unearthly squeal, Dark settled securely on her back, steering her toward the bridges in retreat.

Link jumped to his feet and urged Epona to rise, she did so waveringly, almost as if her balance was off.

_Please Epona, we have to catch up with him!_ Link nearly begged, the mare shook her head firmly, her white mane flicking back and forth, she gave a small grunt as she opened her eyes again.

Link scrabbled onto her back, kicking her forward toward the bridges, Epona started at an uneasy, unstable trot, veering to the left and to the right several times, almost like a little foal still learning how to walk.

The mare increased her speed to a bouncy canter as she got her feet underneath her. She pinned her ears, trying to increase her speed again.

Romani watched as a shadowy black horse sped past, with what looked to be Link on it's back. She started to wander as she realized she was free to do as she wished, for Talon had, inexplicably, fallen asleep.

* * *

Epona burst over the metal gates that separated Lake Hylia and Hyrule Field, stumbling lightly over her massive hooves as she hit the ground. Epona slowed down and trotted in a circle as Link looked for the direction Dark had gone. His eyes caught a glimpse of black streaking over the hill right as the sun began to rise.

Epona reared up as Link pulled her mane in the direction he needed her to go, she jumped into a gallop, leaping over the crest of the hill and gaining speed on the decline. Link could see Dark and the shadow mare far ahead of them, headed for Kakariko Village.

The pair of them sped across Hyrule Field, Link winced as he passed Lon Lon Ranch. He felt incredibly guilty, he had left Malon alone and she had gotten kidnapped again! And this time, she wasn't coming to him.

Epona skidded to a stop at the foot of the tall concrete stairs, and stamped her hooves angrily.

_I'm sorry Link, I can't make climb the stairs!_ She whinnied, letting him slip from her back before she started turning in circles anxiously.

He ran a hand through the mare's silky white mane.

_It's ok, how about you go and take care of Romani? I left her with Talon, you know how he tends to nod off._ Link told her. Epona nodded her head and turned, trotting back across the stone bridge in the direction she had come.

Link sped up the stairs, wondering how the shadow mare had made it up the steep steps.

He stopped at the top, his senses starting to wane from over-exposure, from the constant worry and stress that he had been subject to for the last month. Kakariko Village was burning.

Plumes of thick white smoke billowed into the air, blotting out the newly rising sun. The intense orange light hurt Link's eyes and a wall of heat nearly sent him toppling backward as it hit him. It felt hotter than the volcano on Death Mountain.

He strode forward anyway, trying to ignore the heat. He covered his nose with the side of his arm to keep from gagging on the thick smoke as he made his way through the burning city. He tried not to think about how many people must have lost their lives.

In all the bright, unnatural light, he could still see a shape lying motionless in the midst of the carnage. It looked like a human.

Link increased his pace, running over to the shape. Laying unconscious, arms spread wide and flames licking at her sides, was McKenna, the girl from Death Mountain…

* * *

**Ok, so I'm sorry if I took a long time to update, but I had a severe case of writers block. From this point onward in the story, it's also going to get a bit darker.**

**I'd also like to shout out to Link'sLily, who has helped me immensely with this story and is writing a great story of their own (Sorry, I don't know if you're a girl or a guy, and I don't want to offend you!)**

**You know the drill, Read and review!**

**Thanks.**


	18. A hero saves a different damsel

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda._ If I did, I would shoot Keapora Geabora with a bomb arrow on Orchidlove123's behalf.

A hero saves a different damsel

"Uh…where? Where am I?" Malon rubbed her eyes against the dark, but the dark didn't go away. She put one hand to her aching head and pushed herself to her feet with her other.

Her mind tried to comprehend what was going on, she had been with her father at Lake Hylia, she could remember him pulling her aside and acting like he wanted to talk with her about something important, then wham! She remembered being pulled away by that damned shadow. A bright purple glow, then…nothing.

She looked around, trying to make out shapes in the darkness, but it was nearly pitch black, and it hurt her eyes when she squinted hard enough to see anything.

Malon took a few careful steps forward, desperately wishing for a lantern or some other source of light.

Something made a strange scrabbling noise, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello?" She called, squinting around the room.

A loud scratching sound echoed past her, sounding like a cats' claws on a concrete. She took a step forward, her foot hit something metal. Malon reached down and picked it up, it was a broken pipe.

The ground beneath her feet seemed almost to shift, and she could feel hot, acrid breath against her neck.

Malon whirled around, gripping the pipe firmly, something squishy and rotten suddenly wrapped around her throat. She glanced down, and could see long, bruised white fingers as they clamped down.

Something burst through the dirt floor in front of her, it easily reached seven feet tall. Malon screamed, the fingers clamped tighter around her throat.

Even in the dark, she could see the deformed, grotesque face of an undead monster, it's skin was as pale as the moon, with dark red bloodstains covering it's disgusting body. It opened its mouth wide and leaned in, getting ready to bite her. It's breath smelled horrible.

She gasped for air, the fingers dangerously tight. She raised the pipe above her head and brought it down, hard, on the beast's skull, well, what would have been its skull, if it had one. The pipe came crashing down, making a horrible squishing sound as it buried deep into gummy flesh. The monster gave an agonized screech before it fell, dead to the floor.

Malon dropped the pipe and held her hands to her chest, shivering.

_Had she just killed it?_ She had just taken a life.

There was a loud snapping sound behind her, she whirled around, Dark was standing there, glowing with an eerie purple light.

"You!" she hissed, backing away.

"Oh, now look what you've done! You just killed my poker buddy!" Dark growled, sauntering toward her.

Malon backed further away, hitting a cold stone wall.

Dark continued toward her, he grinned, showing off a set of fangs. He leaned forward, putting a hand on the wall beside her head, Malon could feel him looking her over, she growled as she felt his eyes stop at her chest, and again at her hips.

"Not bad." He remarked flirtatiously, Malon shuddered, _this couldn't seriously be happening!_ From the time she had been fourteen, Malon had dreamed about her knight in shining armor, her prince. But from fourteen to her current age, twenty, she had had fail after epic fail when it came to romance. Now, she finally had found someone who seemed honest, and was genuinely kind, she was ripped away, and stuck with this loser?

_Sometimes I think the goddesses are laughing at me! _She thought ruefully. Dark touched her arm, and she shrunk down.

Malon bared her teeth, Dark backed away, deciding to give her space for some reason.

He turned and started to walk away.

"You'll come around."

"Pigs might fly!" She hissed.

There was a loud snap, and Dark disappeared, leaving Malon to slide down the wall. She buried her head in her hands, sobbing as she was left to sit alone in the dark…

* * *

Link knelt hurriedly by McKenna, pressing a finger to the crook of her neck, he could feel a shallow pulse.

He scooped her into his arms and started running, dodging the flames as he headed for the graveyard. It was the only direction that made sense.

McKenna woke up halfway without Link's notice. She opened her light blue eyes, unsure of where she was. The bright orange light hurt her eyes. That was when she realized she was in someone's arms.

She craned her neck to look up at whoever was carrying her, her cheeks burned red-hot as she realized that the man was none other than the boy who had saved her from Volvagia, Link.

She was, however, too tired to make any comments.

Link stopped short as the roof of one of the burning houses collapsed, landing inches from his nose. He dodged around and continued to run toward the graveyard.

McKenna fidgeted in Link's arms, stopping and blushing even more intensely when she realized that Link's chest was completely bare. She couldn't help but notice his lean, muscular build, his wide set shoulders and the hint of a six-pack.

Link slowed down as he made his way up the steep path to the graveyard, sweat dripping down his back and off of his forehead.

Setting McKenna on the ground, Link dropped to his hands and knees, exhausted.

"You saved me again." She stated, sitting up. Link looked her way tiredly.

An awkward silence stretched between the two of them, McKenna still blushing, trying not to stare at Link's bare upper-half.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, standing up woozily, her head still full of smoke.

Link looked up at her, not answering for obvious reasons. McKenna put a hand to her forehead and let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh, right. You can't talk."

Link pushed himself to his feet and scanned the graveyard. The main area of the graveyard was…well…dead. No one in sight, but just as he was about to curse himself for going the wrong direction, he noticed that one of the graves at the far end had been pushed aside. He walked over to it, where the headstone had once been, there was now nothing but an empty hole. It was pitch black inside, giving no indication of how deep it was.

"Hey! You're not going to leave me here alone are you?" McKenna called innocently, running over to him. Link put out his arm, giving her a look that obviously said, "I don't want you to come."

"Oh no! I'm not staying here alone! Do you have any idea of what made all that damage?"

Link lowered one of his eyebrows.

"Some gigantic hand came out of nowhere and crushed the place! My father saw it coming all the way from Death Mountain and went to warn the villagers, but they didn't believe him, and now I can't find him anywhere! I'm am not sticking around so that creepy hand can squish me too! I'm coming with you."

Link shook his head tiredly and turned, jumping into the dark hole with McKenna following closely behind him…

* * *

Mirror like water swirled around the shadows' feet, creating strange patterns of his reflection.

Dark narrowed his crimson eyes, putting a hand on the black mare's neck as she shook her mane uncomfortably.

"Easy, Ebony." He whispered, his eyes never leaving the shape that was approaching them.

The figure stopped twenty yards from Dark and Ebony, pulling back the hood of his cloak, revealing pasty green skin and dark red hair. He looked down at them over his large hooked nose.

Dark growled as he was stared down, finally obeying and dropping to one knee, bending his head in unwilling respect.

"Lord Ganondorf, if I may, why is it you have requested my presence? You have not given me near enough time to fulfill your task." Dark said, keeping his tone even.

Ganondorf scoffed.

"You had the perfect opportunity to kill him at Lake Hylia, and yet you fled, just like the coward you shadows are!" The sorcerer king snarled, putting a hand on the hilt of a long-bladed sword at his hip.

Dark looked up suddenly, enraged.

"Cowards? You have the gall to call us shadows _cowards?_ We live in the Dark World, where the sun never rises and monsters lurk in ever corner! We _have_ no fear!"

In a flash, Ganondorf drew his blade, spanning the gap between him and the shadow and holding the sword against his throat.

Dark stood still, crimson eyes glaring at Ganon, almost daring him to strike.

"How dare you talk to me like that! I am your master, if it weren't for me, you'd still be in your precious little Dark World, mourning your pretty little girlfriend, what was her name? Nola was it?"

Dark flinched, Ganondorf's words hitting a raw nerve.

"You remember what you duty is, correct?"

Dark nodded resolutely.

"Good, now leave my sight."

Dark backed away from the blade, mounting Ebony and turning her around.

Ebony flicked her ears back toward him as he snapped his fingers, activating a teleportation spell.

They arrived in the Shadow Temple.

"I think it's time to employ a little…help." Dark said.

Ebony let Dark slip from her back. She whinnied as her hooves clattered on the stone flooring, heading toward the center of the temple.

* * *

**K'ger: Guess what folks? in the next chapter, (which will be posted sometime this week) I'm going to hold a special contest. I'm going to ask a Zelda trivia question, and the first person to get it right will get to design an OC! So stay tuned!**


	19. A hero lights a fire

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would send an Oocco (The thing that flies you out of temples in Twilight Princess) to sit next to him and annoy him.

**K'ger: Hya! wah! Ha! * author stops and looks over shoulder***

**OH! you're here already! I was just practicing my sword skills. so anyway, I guess your ready for the next installment, aren't you? *sweat bead***

**And remember, there's an all-important quiz at the bottom, and whoever gets it right first will get to design an Original Character! WooHoo!**

A hero lights a fire

Link and McKenna were falling. It was too dark, he couldn't tell if the floor was close or not, which meant he couldn't brace himself for the impact.

Within seconds after these thoughts, they hit the ground, tumbling across hard cobblestone.

Link let himself sprawl when he finally stopped rolling, his entire body ached with a numb, dulling pain. He opened his eyes to the darkness, and then covered them with his hands, mind foggy with pain.

_Ouch._ He thought. _That could've gone better._

McKenna moaned not too far away from him, rolling over onto her stomach and resting her forehead on her bare arms.

"Ok, so now we know, don't jump into a hole you can't see the bottom of!" she groaned.

She looked around at the dark surroundings.

"Any idea of where we are?"

Even in the dark, she could see Link shake his head.

She covered her nose as she took a deep breath, stifling a gasp.

"And what is that terrible smell? It smells like…rotting flesh!"

Link could smell it too, but he retained his composure as he stood, reaching out a hand to help McKenna up.

She took his hand, thanking him as she released.

"Where do we go?"

Link looked around, they were in a passageway, dark and filled with the scent of death. It reminded him of the tunnel Dampe had ushered him into the day this whole endeavor had started.

_Dampe, I wonder how he's doing? I hope he's ok after the fire._

McKenna interrupted his thoughts with a shrill cry, she grabbed his arm, pulling him around to stand in front of her. He was now designated as a shield.

Link looked at the tunnel in front of him, McKenna still gripping his arm.

A tall, hunched shape was lurking in the shadows. It shuffled toward them, coming into some clarity, although perhaps it was better not knowing what it was. It was a ReDead.

McKenna threatened to le out another strangled shriek, but Link whirled around, putting a hand over her mouth and pushing her in the opposite direction

Link kept the girl going at a swift pace, using his ears as a guide to how fast he needed to go. He let out a breath through pursed lips as they turned a corner and entered a wide room.

The room was probably one hundred feet around, with a wide circle of unlit torches. A tall door remained closed with the impending symbol of an eye and teardrop.

_The Sheikah symbol._ Link thought.

McKenna let out muffled cry from underneath Link's hand and fought her way out of his grip, running into the circle. An enormous Goron was standing with its back to them. McKenna tackled the Goron, throwing her arms as wide around its waist as she could.

"Father! You're alive!" she cried joyfully, Darunia wrapped his burly arms around her shoulders and lifted her up.

His face changed from happiness to a strange, emotionless gaze as he put McKenna down.

"Mic, what are you doing here? I told you to stay on Death Mountain and look after the other Gorons!" He scolded.

McKenna's face flushed, and she balled her hands into fists.

"That was an entire day ago! For all I know, you could've been dead!" she shouted, causing Link to wince and peer over his shoulder, fearing that the ReDead would hear them and attack.

Darunia then noticed Link's presence.

"Well, if it isn't the boy from before! What brings you here?"

"I don't know why he's here dad, he saved me in the fire, but he still doesn't talk, so I have no idea why he was intent on coming into this stinky old place." She said, eyes narrow with disgust at the rank smell of death and decay. Darunia strode over to Link, looming over him as he clapped him on the back.

"Well, your intentions are still a little unclear young man, but I must thank you again for saving my daughter, it seems she has of late developed an intense reckless streak."

Link smiled as McKenna stamped a foot on the ground.

"I have not developed a reckless streak! Things are just really dangerous lately!" she cried.

Darunia started to laugh at his daughters' outburst. Link stepped away from the Goron, looking the room over.

_This has to be near where Dark took Malon, it looks like the kind of place a shadow would go._ He thought, stepping into the circle of torches.

"Dad? What are you doing here? What is this place?" McKenna asked, looking around the room.

"I followed that hand here, it went through that door and closed it, now I can't get through. I can't help but think the key to opening the door is connected to these torches."

They all looked at the torches carefully.

"Do you think we need to light them?"

Darunia paced around for a few minutes, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Link walked over to the tall iron doors and put a hand to the cold metal. It felt damp with condensation.

He yawned and lazily strolled over to the torches again, looking at them tiredly.

I'm pretty sure we have to light them to open the door, but how do we do that when we have no fire?

He leaned in closer to the torch, something was carved onto the bracket.

**_Unleash the goddess's power._**

What did that mean? He wondered, straightening himself and striding over to Darunia.

The Goron looked at him, puzzled, when he beckoned him to come and look at something.

Link pointed at the carved message.

"Unleash the goddess's power? What does that mean?" McKenna asked, reading the message over Link's shoulder.

Darunia stood up and walked to the center of the circle. He put out a hand when McKenna tried to follow him.

"No McKenna, I need you and Link to get as far back as you can."

McKenna looked at him quizzically before she turned and ushered Link to the back wall of the room. She leaned against it, yawning loudly.

Link watched with interest as Darunia moved his hands around in front of him, making strange symbols with his fingers.

Link and McKenna screamed and ducked as Darunia clapped his hands together, there was a deafening explosion, and intense heat flooded the room.

Looking up, they saw that every single one of the torches were lit.

McKenna jumped up, eyes wide with excitement…

"That was totally amazing! How did you do that dad?" she cried, dancing around the room.

Darunia smiled a big, toothy grin, very apparently proud of himself.

They large iron doors swung open with a creak, startling McKenna. She ran back over to her father, taking shelter in his enormous presence.

Link stared into the corridor beyond, it was dark, and smelled worse than the tunnel that they had been in before. But the worst thing about was the impending presence of something, he couldn't quite explain the feeling, it was a hard, thick feeling of fear that hit him square in the chest, almost as if he was sensing an aura. He swallowed hard and started into the passage, Darunia and McKenna following closely behind…

* * *

Malon shuddered with cold, she wrapped her arms around her own shoulders and hugged herself for warmth. The Shadow Temple room she was in was deathly cold.

Her teeth began to chatter, she closed her eyes and moaned. Deep in her mind she knew there must be rooms that were warmer, but the thought of venturing out into the Shadow Temple and facing the horrid monsters that waited beyond the doors scared her half to death.

The doors opened suddenly, spooking Malon. Dark strode in, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Malon stood up, arms still around her own shoulders. She gritted her teeth defensively.

"My, happy to see me?" He snorted, Malon bared her chattering teeth.

"Oh, enough with the games, I can see that you don't like me…yet. But, today is a happy day." he said, flamboyantly punctuating his words with flicks of his wrists and quicker steps.

Malon rolled her eyes, she couldn't understand how this…creature…was at all related to Link. Link was never flamboyant, unless he was trying to impress her…Oh no!

Dark stopped inches from her, his teeth flashing in what she presumed he thought of as a suave grin.

"You're nothing like him, he'll save me. And then you'll be dead!" she spat, glaring at the shadow.

Dark, to her dismay, started to laugh.

"Kill me? If he killed, he'd die as well!"

Malon kept her face straight, although a new twinge of fear settled in the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean? You're nothing a shadow! You'd never be able to kill Link!"

Dark stopped laughing, and grinned evilly at her.

"I wouldn't have to kill him, all he'd have to do is land a mortal blow upon me, and he'd end up with one too!"

Malon still didn't understand the theory the shadow was explaining, and her face clearly displayed it.

"Shadow is a loose term, something you Hylians call us to feel superior, but we are just as much flesh and blood and bone as you Light Worlder's. If a someone from the Light World dies, then their Dark World counterpart dies as well. It goes the same way for those of the Dark World."

Malon closed her eyes, teeth chattering more violently. Dark stared at her, unsure.

"What are you doing?" he asked plainly.

"D-doing? What do y-you mean?" Malon replied.

"Why are your teeth making that awful sound? and why are you hugging yourself?"

"It's because I'm freezing you idiot! It's so c-cold in here!"

"Oh, shadows don't feel cold."

"No kidding!" she retorted sarcastically, she gasped as Dark took her wrist and drug her forward, leading her toward the door.

"No, I don't' want to go out there!" she cried, trying to no avail to stop.

"You said you were cold, it's warmer in another room."

"Hold on, you said you couldn't feel temperatures."

"I can't, but monsters can, and Stalfos' love heat."

Dark led an unwilling Malon deeper into the Shadow Temple…

* * *

**K'ger: Woo, that was a long chapter! Yeah, yeah, I know, the only reason you're reading this author's note is for the contest. the rest is just BLAH BLAH BLAH!**

**So here we go!**

**In Skyward Sword, what character calls Link "Master Shortpants"? extra points if you can tell me what this character calls Fi.**

**You can answer either in your reviews, or by PM. further details will be discussed with the winner. The contest will be going until Sunday at Five Pm. please refrain from using the internet to win! lets keep this fair!**

**Thanks for your constant reading and reviews!**


	20. A shadow reveals his secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _if I did, I would make Keapora Geabora get lost in the Lost Woods.

**K'ger: Ok, time to announce the winner of the OC contest...Drumroll please! *Drums start beating***

**And the winner is...LINK'SLILY!**

***Balloon pops, showering Link'sLily with confetti***

**And that's not all, folks! for getting the question right and winning second place, Orchidlove123 also gets a prize, you'll get to design a pet for Link'sLily's character! **

**Honorable mentions go to lightdarklink!**

A shadow reveals his secrets

"This place is creepy!" McKenna growled, clutching her father's arm as they entered the Shadow Temple.

"I agree with you, Mic, you can stay outside if you'd like." Darunia offered, McKenna only gripped his arm tighter, not uttering an answer.

They rounded a corner, and were met with an immediate drop-off.

"Ok, well…now what?" McKenna asked, peering into the deep hole, she couldn't see the bottom.

The three of them stared at the pit.

McKenna squealed as one of Darunia's enormous hands wrapped around her waist, he did the same for Link. He swung around once, then tossed them to the other side with a grunt. McKenna landed easily, her feet scuffing on the hard stones, but otherwise unharmed, but Link was not so lucky. He landed on his shoulder, rolling a few feet. He let out a silent groan as he pulled himself to his feet, holding a hand to his shoulder.

"Incoming!" Darunia hollered, with a single bound, he leapt the pit cannonball-style, landing with an earth-shattering THUD! McKenna and Darunia laughed as Link staggered back, surprised by the sudden impact.

Link rolled his eyes and shouldered past the enormous Goron and continued down the corridor, he stopped at a crossroad.

_Left? Or right? _

"Oh, I see we've come to a crossroad. Now, which way to go?" Darunia said, looking down each path.

_Link._ A voice called almost hauntingly, Link looked up, startled. It was Malon's voice.

_Malon?_ He called, stepping into the corridor.

_Link!_ The voice cried out urgently, to Link's ears, it came from down the left path. He turned to that direction and strode quickly down the dark path.

McKenna and Darunia watched as Link started to leave them behind.

"Hey! Where you going?" McKenna shouted, sprinting to catch up with him. Link could feel Darunia lumbering after him.

They made their way down several long corridors, not meeting any threats, McKenna and Darunia exchanged confused glances as Link wove his way through the Shadow Temple as if in a trance.

There was only one thought on his mind: _Malon._ Her voice kept calling, each cry more desperate than the last, causing his stomach to churn with worry with each stride he took. His mind almost felt foggy, blotting out any other thought that tried to work into his mind. He could faintly hear McKenna and Darunia following him, but for some reason, he didn't care whatsoever.

They entered a wide, round room. The only direction to go was straight, where the corridor continued.

Link strode forward, a strange whistling sound hit his eardrum, and a second later, something sharp, like the blade of a knife, bit into the lobe of his pointed ear.

He staggered away, holding a hand to his ear, he could feel warm blood trickling onto his fingers.

"Link? What's wrong?" McKenna asked, leaning around his shoulder to look at him, she noticed the blood and quickly jumped away, cowering in her father's shadow.

Darunia watched with pure confusion, unsure of why Link had leapt away and McKenna seemed suddenly afraid.

He asked them several times, but Link couldn't and McKenna would only whimper.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?" he bellowed. Link turned to stare, wide-eyed at the Goron.

"Link's got a huge cut on his ear, and-and there's blood!"

Darunia heaved a knowing sigh, peering at Link's injured lobe.

"You'll be fine, boy. But how did you manage to cut yourself?"

Link shook his head and pointed at the room behind him.

"You say something cut you from in there? There's nothing there."

Link tentatively reached out into the room, and winced as a fresh cut appeared on his hand. Darunia took a step backward.

"Well, that's…new." He muttered, glancing toward the open room.

_Link…Please…Help me._ Malon called again, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Link took a breath and leapt into the middle of the room, sprinting to the other side. He received several more cuts on his back and neck, but otherwise made it unscathed.

Darunia picked McKenna up again and, looking at Link, threw her through the air with a mighty heave. McKenna let out a high-pitched scream as she flew through the air, eyes clamped shut. Link put out his arms and groaned silently as her weight hit him, she slumped into his arms, shivering with fear.

Her cheeks went bright red again as she felt his arms tighten under her, even in the dark, she swore that any and everyone in the world could see her blush.

Link set McKenna on her feet as Darunia lumbered across the room, they could hear a loud chinking sound, like metal hitting rock. When the Goron made it to the other side, they could see several gouges in his rocky skin.

"Are you ok, dad?" McKenna asked, looking at him with concern.

Darunia started to laugh.

"I'm fine, after all, I have a hard head!" he chortled, McKenna's expression shifted to an angry glare.

"Dad! What were you thinking?" she yelled, Darunia looked at her, unsure of what he done wrong this time.

"YOU THREW ME ACROSS THE ROOM!"

Link turned, heading into the next passageway.

Link…Please! He could hear Malon sob, very clearly crying, he sped up, not caring if McKenna and Darunia were following or not as he rushed to find Malon…

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Malon asked, her wrist still firmly in Dark's grip, she ran into his shoulder as he stopped suddenly, putting his other hand to the side of his face. She shivered with cold, his body felt as though it was made of ice.

Dark grunted and continued on, ignoring Malon as she asked what was going on. He led her down another passage, and a she could feel the temperature rise. It felt good.

She was ushered into a small room, the ceiling was low, Malon's head brushed against the stones above her. She could hear a sound like rattling bones.

Malon walked over to the nearest wall and slid down to sit against it, wrapping her arms around her knees. Dark moved to lean his shoulder against the wall absentmindedly, he was obviously bored with the menial needs of humans. A strange dripping sound reached Malon's ears, she looked at the ground in front of her and, even in the dark she could see a strange reddish-black liquid dropping onto the stones. She looked up at the source, it was coming from Dark.

"What is that?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"What is what?" he responded lazily, still bored.

"That." She responded, pointing at the small puddle of reddish-black liquid by his feet.

"Oh, that? It-its nothing."

He's lying. She thought, something made a strange sound, like rattling bones, and Dark immediately jumped away from the wall, drawing a knife from the inside of his right boot.

An enormous Stalfos stalked toward them, brandishing a rusted sword. Malon cowered against the wall, she raised her chin in amazement as Dark came to stand between her and the skeleton.

He caught the skeletons' blade on his as it lashed out, bones creaking with age. He grunted under the pressure and threw it back. One of the Stalfos's arms broke clean in two.

"What _is_ that?!" Malon screamed, holding her arms tightly across her own chest, as if guarding her heart.

"That's a Stalfos, an undead monster. It senses you."

"Well do something about it! You're the king of shadows, aren't you?" she hissed, pressing her back harder against the wall, Dark gave a small laugh.

"You flatter me! I wish I was, but that honor belongs solely the desert prince."

Dark kicked the Stalfos in the ribcage, breaking several of the delicate bones. The Stalfos gave a small screech and lunged forward suddenly, driving it's blade into Dark's shoulder.

Dark gave a groan of pain and with a final grunt effort, severed the skeleton's head with his knife. The Stalfos screeched as its bones shattered, falling into a pile on the floor.

"Uh, thanks." Malon uttered as Dark yanked the skeletons' blade from his shoulder. Malon stepped past him and glared at him.

Without a word, she grabbed him by the chin with one hand, and with the other, shoved his chest.

He fell down onto the ground with a loud yelp of surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Malon grabbed the bloodied sword from the ground and, holding the cloth out with her other hand, cut out a swath of fabric.

She knelt beside the shadow and started wrapping his wound.

"Why are you doing this?" Dark asked.

"Because if you keep bleeding, you'll kill Link with you."

"Heh, so you're not doing because I saved your life."

"Saved my life? If it weren't for you, I'd still be at my home, with Link." She hissed. Dark gave a sudden cry of pain and Malon tightened the bandage around the wound. The cry almost made Malon feel sorry for the shadow, he had received the wound on her account. But her real problem was that she couldn't be there to tend Link's wound. She knew he had one of the same kind now, after all, if a shadow got a wound, then so did the Hylian.

"So," she started, trying to keep his mind off of the pain, "What is the Dark World like?"

"Dark." He answered through gritted teeth.

"Have any friends?"

The shadow went silent, as if the question pained him.

"Well, there was a girl," he started, Malon gave a small Hmm to signal she was listening, "Her name was Nola, she looked a lot like you, but…"

Malon tied a final knot in the bandage and straightened herself, helping him to his feet.

"She died." He said finally, crimson eyes downcast.

Malon yawned tiredly, she hadn't slept in days.

"You're tired."

"Well, duh. I haven't slept in a long time."

"I think you're safe here, I'll stay on guard." He said, grabbing the bloody Stalfos sword from where Malon had put it and leaned against the wall again.

Malon reluctantly laid down on the stone floor, but sleep alluded her for a long time.

A strange humming sound suddenly met her ears. Dark was humming!

It was a solemn tune, but it had an almost soothing ring to it.

And as the shadow finished his Nocturne, Malon fell asleep…

* * *

**K'ger: So, I updated this late at night, I don't what time it is where you, my loyal readers, are, but here it is...11:15! So, Link'sLily and Orchidlove123, If you're reading this before 3 Pm on Saturday, i'll be Pm-ing you soon to discuss your characters! goodnight, readers! I bid you a nice night!**

**Oh, and, thanks to Link'sLily who started the craze for me, she is so nice as to let me give my characters songs that fit them too! Link'sLily did this first in her story, Shhh.**

**For the Story in general, the song I've chosen is _Counting Stars_ by _ONEREPUBLIC._**


	21. A hero dies

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would electrocute Keapora Geabora.

**K'ger: Hi all you happy-pappy people! *Oy, that was cheesy!***

**Anyway, I don't have much to say in this authors note, except a warning: this chapter is a going to be a little...gory. not horrible, but just, be prepared!**

**Oh, and twiliwolf13, your question will be answered in this chapter!**

**A hero dies**

Link gasped, intense pain suddenly filled his shoulder, he put a hand to it, thinking that perhaps he had injured his shoulder worse than he had originally thought, but something warm and wet met his fingers.

He looked at his hand, fresh red blood was dripping from his shoulder. _What in the name of the goddesses?!_

His shoulder was bleeding, badly. A wide, open gash cut across his shoulder, as if a blade had been stabbed into it.

_Dang that shadow!_ He cursed, _then again, this means that the shadow is in pain too._ He steeled himself against the pain and continued down the passageway, striding around a corner and stopping in front of a tall iron door. He swallowed and pushed against the handle-less door, ignoring the sharp sting that ripped through him like a knife.

The door swung open into room so large, he couldn't see the end of it, the flooring continued on for about five feet, before stopping at an abrupt edge. It was a small drop to land on a large round platform. Link took a breath and jumped. A resounding thud echoed through the room and Link gasped as he fell to his side, landing on his bleeding shoulder and staining the dusky tan floor beneath him a sickening crimson.

Dragging himself painfully to his feet, he could hear a faint drumming sound in the distance. A bright red light pierced the darkness beyond.

Link gave silent cry as he was thrown into the air, the ground underneath him seemed to shake. Just as he landed, he was thrown into the air again.

An enormous gray hand came pounding down on the platform. And then another. The hands were huge, and awful, and terribly grotesque, like hands from the fiery depths of hell.

If this is what it's hands look like, I don't want to see the rest of it! He thought.

Link started to feel sick as he was thrown in the air again and again, his shoulder ached as he landed on it several times. The glowing red light pierced the darkness again, and an enormous, cycloptic eye appeared, as if floating over the two detached hands.

An eerie, voiceless song filled the cavernous room, making Link's stomach churn. Malon's haunting call was frighteningly absent, worrying Link.

A sudden shriek caught the strange beast by surprise, McKenna and Darunia were standing on the ledge, Darunia jumped down, rocking the platform, McKenna jumped after.

The eerie song continued as the monster beat on the platform like a drum, bouncing Link, McKenna and Darunia in the air with each pound.

McKenna pulled a knife from a secret sheath attached to her waist, she moved towards Link, slowly with each bounce. She handed him the knife.

"Here! Use it, I'm no good at projectiles!" she shouted, looking away from Link when she noticed the blood on his shoulder.

Link took the knife in his left hand and settled in his palm, he took and deep breath and, as one of the monster's hands came down on the platform, he flung it toward the glowing red eye.

The knife sunk into the eye with a sickening squishy sound, the eerie song halted abruptly, and the monster let loose an ear splitting screech.

Now blinded, the monster lashed out with its detached hands. McKenna screamed as the fingers came close to her, nails raked across her skin, leaving gashes across her body. Darunia gave a desperate roar and bounded toward her. The knife was thrown out of the monsters' body, the metal crashed to the floor with a clatter.

Time seemed almost to slow for an awful moment, Link's eyes widened as the monster grabbed Darunia and threw him, hard, to the ground. McKenna was glued to where she stood, her complexion went as white as a sheet. She gave a grief-stricken scream as the monster brought its hand up and brought its nails stabbing down, piercing Darunia's thick hide.

McKenna screamed as the monster pulled away from Darunia. Link grabbed the knife and ran toward McKenna, who was still frozen as the monster attacked her again. With a swipe of the knife, Link sent the monster reeling backward, screaming in pain and he cut into it's gray, decomposing chest. With final agonized screech, the monster fell, dead, into the purple haze below.

McKenna tripped over her own feat as she rushed to her father's side. He opened his glassy black eyes tiredly.

"Mic." Her father said softly, brushing a loose strand of her brown hair behind her pointed ear.

McKenna looked down at her father's abdomen, four deep wounds covered his stomach, deep red blood pooling beneath his enormous frame.

Link hung back, he knew how this was going to end, he looked away angrily, hands balled into fists.

He could hear McKenna choke back a sob.

"Dad." She said, her voice cracking.

"Be good." Darunia said in a raspy voice, he groaned in pain. McKenna let loose another sob.

"You'll be an excellent leader, I know y-you can handle it."

"No! you'll come back with me!" McKenna cried, gripping Darunia's wrist tighter.

"McKenna, my time is done, and I accept that, it's your turn to prove yourself."

Darunia smiled weakly at his daughter, and brushed an enormous thumb across her cheek, wiping away a line of tears.

"It's alright."

A frightening silence choked the room, making Link dip his head. He didn't want to look.

"Link." The Goron's raspy, choking voice called.

Link turned and reluctantly made his way over to Darunia.

"Please make sure McKenna gets out of here, ok?"

Link nodded firmly. Although not practiced in consoling anyone, he made an attempt by putting a hand of McKenna's trembling shoulder.

Darunia gave one last groan and then went limp, slipping away.

Link didn't know how long McKenna just sat there, not making a sound, not moving a muscle. He wasn't going to push her.

McKenna finally stood, and she promptly buried her face in his uninjured shoulder. Link could feel hot tears drip onto his exposed chest. He didn't feel exactly comfortably with this, after all, his cheeks still went red when he thought about Malon bandaging him after he nearly died in the Temple of Time. And now a girl who was probably five years younger than him was crying into his bare chest.

As McKenna cried, completely dead to the world, Link's sharp blue eyes zeroed in on the edge of the platform. Bony fingers gripped the platform.

Link stiffened and took McKenna by the shoulders, spooking her. He led her toward the edge he had jumped onto, there was a small staircase he had not noticed previously. McKenna kept her tears silent as she was ushered, unbeknownst to her, away from several Stalfos that were climbing onto the platform.

Link mounted the stairs quietly, holding McKenna by the shoulders as he kept a watchful eye on the Stalfos'.

As they entered the corridor, Link was assaulted by Malon's haunting cry yet again.

_Link…I'm here…please…come to me…_

The fog settled in his mind again, but McKenna's grip on his arm and the hot tears dripping off of her cheeks kept him grounded, he led her down the passageway, following his ears toward Malon's voice. He could also hear crackling bones, the Stalfos' were still following them.

As they rounded a bend, they came to another iron door, McKenna stopped him before he could shoulder it open.

He looked at her, confused, and his body went entirely stiff as the shorter girl leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

_McKenna had just kissed him!_

The girl backed away from him, wringing her hands nervously.

Link didn't quite know how to react, that was whole other side of McKenna he had not witnessed. He scratched the back of his head nervously and turned away, his cheeks burning as he opened the doors, where Malon's voice was emanating…

* * *

Malon woke up to pounding feet nearby.

She looked up, Dark was pacing around the small room. He slammed a fist against the wall angrily.

"Why, why does he have to keep drawing it out?" he cried exasperatedly. Malon stood up, Dark looked at her, his crimson eyes blazing.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked. Dark ground his teeth.

"Nothing." He answered, obviously lying.

"I know you're lying. I've spent enough time around Link to know when he's lying, you're no different."

Dark moved to the other side of the room, kicking a bone across the floor.

Malon watched him, she started noticing several things she hadn't before. Sweat was dripping down his neck, he panted as if he were too hot. His eyes had an intense fear in them, like a caged animal waiting for slaughter, and his entire body was trembling.

A realization hit Malon like a brick wall.

"You're afraid to die, aren't you?" she said, snapping Dark back to the real world. He bared his silvery fangs at her, his body starting to tremble even more violently.

"Me? Afraid? HA! Shadows live in the Dark World, we have no fear!"

Malon clucked her tongue at him softly, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"I don't understand, though! I sent Bongo Bongo! King of the Shadow Temple, and yet that danged counterpart had to go and win! How long is he going to draw this out?" the Shadow demanded of no one in paticular.

"You know, I don't want to kill Link, but if you're so intent on killing him, why don't you just commit suicide?" Malon asked, arms still crossed.

"You think if that were an option, I wouldn't have taken advantage of it?." He answered plainly, not answering Malon's question.

"Why can't you?" she responded, content to get Dark to divulge further information on shadows in general.

"Because in my world, there is no honor in killing yourself. The only honorable death is death in battle." He snarled.

"Then how was it honorable to send Bongo whatzit or whatever his name was?"

"Because it still would have been death by battle, just not my battle."

Malon rolled her eyes, shadow logic made no sense to her.

"You shadows are weird."

"At least we Dark Worlder's have honor."

A long silence stretched between them before a question came to Malon's mind.

"If you're so afraid to die, then why are you so intent on killing Link?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the room.

"Because I have to."

"Why?"

Dark groaned.

"Is that all you do? Stick your nose in other peoples' business?" he snarled. Malon turned her shoulder to him, crossing her arms.

"That's my job, if I didn't stick my nose in other peoples' business, then who would?"

"I have to because I can't say no."

Malon still gave him a confused look.

"When a shadow is summoned from the Dark World, said shadow is almost completely subject to the will of the one who summoned them. A shadow must do as they their master says."

"So you were summoned here to kill Link? By who?"

Dark looked at her, his eyes a mix of fear, anger and defiance.

"A man by the name of Ganondorf summoned me here."

* * *

Link pushed the iron doors open, entering a wide room. His stomach plummeted from underneath him as he stepped inside.

Standing with her back to him was Malon.

She turned to the sound of his boots against the stone floor, a coy smile crossed her lips. He sped up, and within seconds, his arms were around her.

Link bent his head and buried his face in the nape of neck.

"You found me." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

You thought I wouldn't?

They both went silent, Link almost overwhelmed. He heard a strange sound, like a sword being removed from a sheath, but he ignored it, too preoccupied with Malon.

"You killed the king." Malon suddenly whispered seductively in his ear.

What are you talking about, Malon?

"You killed the king of the Shadow Temple, and now you shall die as well!" she hissed, her voice changing suddenly to an inhuman screech. Link pulled away suddenly as a knife was jabbed toward his back, the knife dug into his already injured ear.

Link staggered back, his mouth open as he screamed silently, the back of his knees went loose as he held both hands to his ear. He could feel that a large chunk missing from the bottom. Malon had just notched his ear.

But when he looked up at Malon, Malon was not there. Standing in her place was a Gibdo. Glowing red eyes peered out from between thick, rotting bandages.

Link tried to stand, but couldn't. He blamed it on blood loss. The Gibdo poised it's knife to make a final strike when a door behind Link opened, and another knife went whistling over his head, impaling the Gibdo.

He looked over his shoulder, completely confused. Something ran toward him and put gentle hands on his shoulders.

Looking up, Malon was standing there.

Huh? But-

Malon shushed him, looking up from his eyes as the Gibdo fell dead.

She started as McKenna ran across the room.

"Who're you?" she asked, looking at McKenna cautiously.

_She's fine, she followed me here._ Link told her, dragging himself to his feet.

"Who are you?" McKenna asked this time.

"I'm Malon, Link's girlfriend." Malon said somewhat hostilely.

_Malon? know a way out of here?_

"I can try. Lets go."

Malon took Link by the arm and pointed him in the direction of the door she had entered from.

They made their way down the corridor, McKenna following a few inches behind.

How did you get away from Dark? Link asked as they moved.

"Someone named Ganondorf summoned him away."

_Ganondorf?_

"Yeah, you know him?"

_Yeah, I know him, are we almost there?_

"Yeah, just around that bend."

_How did you know I was here?_

"Well, I assumed you would have followed me, and Dark said you were here."

McKenna stared at their backs, how was this girl answering questions when Link wasn't even talking?

They rounded a bend and, as Malon had said, they entered the room with the circle of torches. Link hurried them along, his vision ebbing in black.

After entering the other tunnel, Link stopped short as he realized that they had somehow reached the outdoors.

They were standing on a ledge just above the Graveyard. The grave they had entered from was just below them.

How is that possible? We entered down there, and we come out here? He shook his head, giving up on the logic, he was just happy he had made it outside, with Malon. But in the back of his mind, he felt guilty, because of him, Darunia had died, and what's more, how was he supposed to react to McKenna now? She obviously viewed him as more than a friend.

Oh well, I'll handle all that later, I think right now I need to lay down.

And Link collapsed, his body folding into a crumpled heap. He had beaten the Shadow Temple, and saved Malon, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**K'ger: Whew! that was a beast of a chapter! Yikes!**

**And I'd like to shout out to Link'sLily! her story According to Legend is really coming together and I suggest you read it! its really great!**

**Also, Twiliwolf13, if you didn't find the answer in the story, I've based the difference between the Dark world and the Light world on the difference between America and Japan. As Japanese culture is very concerned with honor, and suicide is considered very dishonorable.**

**And for the song:**

**Dark's character**

**Demons by Imagine Dragons.**

**Also, I have a question for you, my loyal readers: Do you think that I should change the rating to M? do you think this story is too intense? or romantic? or gory? I don't want to get in trouble with the site, so if anyone knows, please let me know!**

**Goodnight readers!**


	22. A hero is of the unlikely kind

Disclaimer. I do not own the _Legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would use Din's Power on Keapora Geabora.

**K'ger: Hello again, readers! This chapter introduces Link'sLily's character, and just so you know, I own nothing of him! He's all Link'sLily's! she gets total credit, I just wrote about him.**

**So be warned, New Character and a Bombshell are included with the purchase of this chapter!**

***Random person whacks author***

**"You aren't making any money on this! Take that back!" **

**"Alright, alright already! I was just joking! geez, you party-pooper!"**

**Anyway, have fun reading this chapter!**

A hero is of the unlikely kind

The village of Windfall was always peaceful. It was a very small village just outside of Hyrule, nearest to Lake Hylia, and even in the summer life was simple, most people made their livings by growing crops, or raising livestock, although there were a few craftsman.

Windfall's biggest trait was that it was in fact an island. A narrow bridge was all that connected them to the rest of the world, and was seldom used, so it was not a great loss when there was a shift in the cliffside and the bridge fell. No one ever tried to fix it, not seeing the point, as what would they use it for? It was just a way for bandits to access their village, now they were safe from thieves, and could feel truly free.

Everyone seemed content with this simple way of life, well, all save one young man. His name was Jack, the son of one of the many farmers of Windfall. He was never content with the small village lifestyle, and from the early age of five, he had stated quite plainly and matter-of-factly that when he turned twenty, he'd leave the village and never return, he told everyone that he'd go off, find lots of treasure and have his choice in any girl he wanted.

The villagers would just smile at him, pat him on the head and leave without any acknowledgement, which only worsened Jack's perpetual mood. When he turned fifteen, he had decided he'd had enough of the village already, packed his bag and attempted to leave, but upon reaching the bridge, he was shocked to find absolutely _no_ bridge.

"I wonder if I can jump?" he asked himself, looking at the sharp rocks below, he gauged the distance, it was probably about thirty feet.

I dunno, that's awful far.

"Damn!" he cursed, turning his back to the cliff and stomping down the hill…

* * *

**Five years later…**

* * *

"Goddesses, can this get anymore boring?" Jack groaned, leaning on a fence and resting his forehead on his arms. He let out a long, tortured sigh and moved his feet around on the ground.

"Jack, for goodness sake, would you just suck it up? This is a family event, and last time I checked, you're family." His mother, a short, brown-haired woman moaned, elbowing her despondent son in the ribs. He gave a small yelp and lifted his head, glaring at her with piercing green eyes. He blew a loose strand of his dark, midnight-black hair out from in front of his eyes as his mother scoffed and smoothed his unadorned vest.

"Seriously Jack, I don't know what you want from life, why can't you just be happy with what you've got, after all, what else could you want?"

Jack rolled his eyes and harrumphed, crossing his arms across his chest in pure, excruciating boredom.

His mother grabbed him by the arm and led him away, down a dirt path toward a small group of people sitting in pews. As he approached, his father, with his thick build constrained in a down-to-earth tunic, gave him an austere glare.

His mother shoved him into a pew at the back of the group and sat down beside him, locking him in place. There was no getting out of it now.

Jack sat there as the boring ceremony took place, he groaned as his older sister strode down the isle to stand beside the blacksmith's son. And he fell asleep when the pastor started talking.

And just as his sister and her new husband leaned in to kiss, an earth-shattering snore rumbled across the open plain where the wedding was taking place, Jack woke up with a start, and was immediately met with close to twenty enraged glares. His father went beet-red with anger, while his mother dropped her head in shame. He gave everyone a sheepish grin.

His father grabbed him by the shoulder as the reception started.

"What is wrong with you, boy?" he demanded, shoving Jack backward.

"I-I don't know!" he gasped as his back hit the ground. His father towered over him, his brown eyes blazing.

"You just ruined your own sister's wedding! You have to go and apologize!" his mother chimed in.

Jack pulled himself to his feet, and glared daggers at his parents. He had just been pushed across beyond his breaking point.

Without another word, Jack turned and stormed away, he ignored the cries his parents gave, he wrenched his shoulder from his father's grip as he tried to stop him.

He stormed into the nearby barn and slammed the door, locking it from the inside. A sharply featured dun stallion looked up from a pile of hay.

"You ready to get out of this place, Cerus?" He said to the horse, grabbing a heavy leather saddle and tacking up the stallion.

The horse shied away from his touch, a suspicious look in his brown eyes.

"Oh come one, Cerus! Who knows, you might meet a pretty mare!" Jack said, the stallion lifted his head, ears forward and eyes glinting mischievously.

"There, that's better." Jack chuckled, slipping a bridle over the horses head and leading him by the reins out of the barn.

His family assaulted him as he exited the barn.

"Jack! What on Hylia's green earth are you doing?" his mother snarled.

Jack ignored her.

His father grabbed him by the arm as he mounted the stallion.

"Where do you think you're going to go? You have nothing." He growled.

Jack ripped his arm from the man's grip and kicked the dun into a conceited trot.

"Anywhere, as long as it isn't here." He said. The entire village stared as Jack rode by.

Then his mother realized what he was doing.

"Jack! No! You'll kill yourself!" she cried, running after him. Jack urged the stallion into a gallop, heading straight for the cliff.

The entire village started chasing after him, but none were fast enough to catch up with the stallion. With a final bound, the stallion leapt into the air.

With squeal, the stallion's upper half hit the ground, hooves digging into the grass, his hind-end scrabbled against the cliff.

The village went silent as the stallion pulled his way up, with Jack still clinging to his back.

Jack smiled smugly at his former home, and as he rode away, he threw them all an obscene gesture with both middle fingers…

* * *

Link opened his eyes groggily, and immediately realized that a warm hand was gripping his. He looked to his right, and Malon was sitting there, hunched over him.

_This is getting rather repetitive._ Link said softly.

"You're telling me. I'm getting tired of having to bandage you."

_Yeah, and I'm getting tired of being bandaged._

McKenna peeked around a wooden door.

Malon noticed her after a couple of seconds and gave a slightly hostile glare.

McKenna noticed Link was awake and her cheeks immediately began to burn.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone." She stammered, quickly closing the door again.

When Link tried to sit up, he gasped silently as his chest contracted painfully, he fell back into a mass of pillows.

"You went into shock." She said, Link gave her a confused expression.

"They said you were going to die."

_Who is "they"?_ He asked.

"The few survivors of Kakariko Village. And by the way is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

_Huh? What are you talking about Malon?_

"I had to scream my lungs out just to get a doctor to see you, they wanted to let you die. They said you were a thief."

Link could feel his cheeks heat up. He had forgotten to tell Malon about his past, well, he told himself that he had forgotten, but deep in his mind he knew he had avoided the subject, fearing that Malon wouldn't understand. Well, I guess the cats out of the bag now.

_I might have stolen some of their food, and attacked a couple of people, but only in self-defense._

"And you couldn't have told me sooner?" she said somewhat angrily, letting go of his hand and crossing her arms.

_I never got around to it._ He lied, Malon gave him a clear look of distrust.

"You're lying."

Link let out a sigh.

_You got me, I was just afraid, I guess. I thought you'd make me leave. _

Malon looked at him for a moment before leaning in close and pressing her lips to his, sinking into a deep, passionate kiss.

"Oh, I guess I picked a bad time." A male voice said from the doorway.

Malon pulled away quickly and wrung her hands, a deep pink blush spreading across her face.

"I can assume that you're awake then." The man said, walking to Link's side. He was short, with graying hair pulled back into a short ponytail, he readjusted his glasses and took a closer look at Link.

"Well, I guess you can't be all bad if such a lovely young lady trusts you." He commented, "Though I must admit it's odd that you can't talk, since my brother is adamant that you called him several choice words one time."

Malon stood up, her eyes focused entirely on Link.

"How long will recovery take?" she asked, not looking at the doctor.

"Well, that's hard to say, if the village had not been burned so badly, then I would be able to procure a purple potion, which would speed up the process immensely, but I'm afraid that the potion shop was one of the worst hit by the fire. The only thing I can come across is red potion, and it's not a very potent kind either." He answered, reaching into one of his pockets and producing a vile of red liquid.

"Speaking of which, it's time for another dose." Ignoring Link's silent gasp, he forced him into a sitting position and handed him the vile. Link choked down the liquid.

"You should be able to stand in a few days, however. Meanwhile, I suggest you get some rest."

The doctor left the room, leaving Link and Malon alone in the small room. Link noticed that the only pieces of furniture were the bed he was lying on and a small wooden chair, which Malon seated herself on. He smiled as she took his hand again.

Link gripped Malon's hand back, and his mind went back to a subject he had been debating on since the night he and Malon had shared the bed.

_Malon?_ He asked, urging her to meet his gaze, she looked at him, her eyes questioning. She cocked her head to one side slightly.

_I-I'm going to sound completely crazy here, and I hope it's not because of the blood loss, but, I have to ask you a question,_ he started, Malon lifted one eyebrow in confusion, her gaze completely bewildered.

_I'm sorry if I can't do this properly, but I'll try my best when I'm healed._ He shifted around in the bed to face her more squarely.

"Would you just get on with it?" Malon snorted.

He reached up to his uninjured ear and fiddled with the blue hoop earring. Removing it, he held it out to her.

_I love you, a-and I want to be by your side the rest of my life,w-will you marry me?_ His face went bright red and a bead of sweat dripped off of his forehead as he waited for Malon's answer. Her face went white with shock. He now felt very embarrassed.

A long, chilling silence stretched between them.

Her face softened into a look of mock indecision.

"I dunno, you promise to take baths?" she said, looking at him through the corners of her eyes.

_I shall try, my sweat, but I can guarantee nothing! _He said in an over-dramatic voice.

Malon leaned in and kissed him again. She pulled away for a moment.

"Life isn't easy around you, but I can't say that it's ever boring, so yes, I'll marry you."

And they sank into another kiss, not knowing that McKenna was watching from the door…

* * *

**K'ger: Well, there you go! Bet you didn't expect that! anyway, that's not even close to the end of Jack, he'll be appearing in lots more chapters after this! so stay tuned! Also, I took a really big risk writing this chapter, but I had a gut feeling it was time for his proposal, mostly cuz I'm trying to wrap this story up, we getting up there.**

**But never fear, my faithful readers! I have great news for you! *Drumroll***

**There's going to be a sequel! *Fireworks go off* I wasn't originally planning a sequel, actually, I didn't even expect to get this far, cuz I didn't think anyone would like this story, but, such is life! full of surprises!**

**And the character song of the day:**

**Jack**

**Ain't no rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant.**

**Link'sLily also gets full credit for the character song.**

**Also, ****_Orchidlove123_****, Rendu will be appearing in the next chapter! so please bear with me!**


	23. A hero gets into a bar fight

Disclaimer: I do not own the _Legend of Zelda._ If I did, I would feed Keapora Geabora bad chili and give him food poisoning.

**K'ger: Hey readers! I'm back again! just to let readers know, I think this'll be the last chapter for about a week. No, I'm not going on vacation, and I might post a chapter later rather than sooner, but I just need a small break. Time to cut loose before September comes.**

* * *

A hero gets into a bar fight

* * *

**One-week-later…**

"You need help with that?" Malon asked, looking over at Link, he cringed as he tried to pull a long-sleeved white shirt over his head, his shoulder was still prone to spasm when he tried to use it. Malon smiled softly and walked over to him, putting a gentle hand on his chest and pulling the shirt down. He blushed at his inability to even dress himself.

"You could've just asked for help." She said as she grabbed a brown vest off of the bed and slipped his arms through it. The villagers had been kind enough to give Link new clothes, and Malon had somehow been able to afford a new pair of boots, although Link had insisted that she should save her money, when Malon set her mind to something, she did it.

Buckling a bandoleer strap over his opposite shoulder, she softened her grip on his shoulder as his arms snaked around her waist.

He kissed the top of her head.

_Thank you. _He said simply, letting go of her and making his way for the door.

Malon gathered up the bag of supplies the villagers had given her, stopping as her eyes glanced off of the blue ring around her finger, she rubbed it with her thumb, not being able to suppress a small smile.

_Malon? Are you coming? _Link asked from outside.

"Oh, right." She slung the bag over her shoulder and ran out the door.

McKenna and the doctor had been waiting for the both of them.

"May I have a word?" the doctor asked, looking at Link and Malon.

Link nodded and McKenna took that as her queue to wander out of earshot.

"Your shoulder is doing well in recovery, and the shock didn't seem to do too much damage, so you should be fine, but since it is about two days to your chosen destination, I suggest you stay at a nearby inn for the night, and there's one more thing," the doctor looked at them with a concerned gaze.

"I'm afraid there might be permanent damage to your shoulder."

Malon looked at up at Link, his expression was unreadable.

"So, what does that mean, exactly?" She asked, taking Link's hand and lacing her fingers with his.

"Well, it should heal completely, but I'm almost certain that there was damage to the joints, you say that a sword was stabbed into his shoulder?" He asked, Malon nodded.

"I've seen many cases like this, and most end up the same way, you'll have a lot of aches and pains as you age. You'll also be stiff in the morning, and it might not build as much muscle either."

A long silence stretched between the three of them.

"Well, at least you're alive, and that's the important part." Malon said reassuringly. Link nodded resolutely.

A loud rumbling sound startled the small group, two large boulders were rolling down the Death Mountain trail. Link pushed Malon away and bolted, but McKenna didn't move as the boulders headed straight for her. Malon gaped as the boulders stopped short and jumped into the air.

Two Gorons landed where the boulders had stopped. They both shook McKenna's hand and dipped their heads.

"McKenna, we brought what you requested." One of the Gorons said, handing McKenna what looked to be the scabbard of a sword.

Link and Malon looked at each other, confused, as McKenna thanked the Goron and walked over to them.

"Link, I'd like to present you with the Biggorons Sword. It's the very same sword that the Goron hero Darmani used to slay Volvagia. It's the least I can do, if you had not been there, I never would have made it out of the Shadow Temple."

Link looked at the sword she held out to him. The hilt was shaped like a pair of reptilian wings, and the blade was probably close to four feet in length. The scabbard was bright red, with a golden symbol that represented the Goron Tribe.

He bowed his head in respect and took the sword from her, Malon helped him attach it to his bandoleer.

"Miss Malon? May I have quick word with Link? Alone?" McKenna asked, her eyes pleading.

Malon narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned, deciding to talk with one of the Gorons.

A dark blush crept onto McKenna's face.

"Link…I…I'm sorry, you know, for what happened in the Shadow Temple. It was wrong of me." She said, clasping her hands together and avoiding eye contact.

"I shouldn't have done that, but I…I do like you, a lot, actually." McKenna looked down and focused on rock near her bare feet.

"She's beautiful, and I hope you to are happy together."

McKenna turned to walk away, but Link stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

He gave her look that clearly read, "Thank you" before letting go.

She nodded her thanks and left in a hurry, the Goron Malon had been talking to bowed his head and departed, rolling after McKenna. Link could hear her sniffle.

_I hope she does well, taking on the role of chieftess at such a young age._ He thought.

"So? What did she want?" Malon asked as she returned.

_I think she liked me._ He said, looking at Malon with one eyebrow raised.

Malon let her eyelids drop slightly, looking up into his eyes.

"I sort of guessed that, since she was always blushing around you."

_I think it was because I saved her from being eaten by a dragon…and for getting her out of the shadow temple._

"Oh really? And just how close _are_ the two of you?" Malon asked in mocking suspicion. Link answered her with a kiss.

_You know very well I have eyes only for you._ He said romantically.

* * *

**A/N: If you want this scene to be really scary, I suggest you listen to a song from the Zelda Soundtrack simply titled "Zant" by Koji Kondo. I listened to it the whole time I was writing this scene! You can find it for free on the internet, that's where I got it.**

Dark strode toward the exit of the Shadow Temple, he ground his teeth as he stalked down the hall.

That girl was sneakier than he had anticipated, being called off to withstand another scolding from Ganondorf was bad enough, but then when he returns, she's gone without a trace? An inhuman growl escaped his lips and he made his way past down the last corridor, heading for the round, torch-filled room.

As he stepped into the room, however, a strange sensation overcame him, and the next thing he knew, he was being thrown backward, right back into the passageway he had come from.

"What in the heck was that?" He yelled in disbelief, dragging himself from the stone floor. He looked at the doorway, there was nothing there.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion and approached the doorway again, reaching out to put his hand past the frame, he yelped as a purple-black film encased his hand and threw it back.

Dark staggered back, a deep, contracting fear settling in the pit of his stomach, he knew what this was. Every shadow knew what this was.

His mind went racing back to when he had been a child, and his mother had told him stories, terrifying at the time, of how when a shadow was summoned to the Light World, they were required to do as the one who summoned them wished. But the truly terrifying part was what happened to the shadow should he or she fail. It was said that if a shadow failed to do as their master pleased, they would either be killed right on the spot, or worse, be locked in a place called the Shadow Temple.

Under normal circumstances, Dark wouldn't mind one bit being in the Shadow Temple, it was the only place in the Light World that felt remotely like home. But that was not the problem, the problem was, when a shadow failed their master's chosen task, it was automatic banishment from the shadow tribe, and that meant that monsters would no longer side with him, and would just as well like to _eat_ him. He smelled like a human.

A scuffing sound caught Dark's attention, he whirled around, and gritted his teeth. Five ReDeads were shuffling toward him, disjointed jaws hanging wide open in anticipation.

He smirked as he clasped his thumb and index finger together, he snapped them together and laughed at the ReDeads as he whooshed away.

_Geeze! ReDeads are so stupid! _He thought, striding further into the dark passageway he had teleported to with his eyes closed, he laughed again, pleased with his cleverness.

He stopped short as he bumped into something. He looked up, and ten black, lifeless eye sockets looked down at him, wide jaws coming close to him.

He hadn't teleported! He snapped his fingers, he snapped them again and again and again, nothing. One ReDead reached down and tried to bite him, Dark squeezed between them and bolted, turning down the left path, only to be greeted by several more of the grotesque monsters. He skidded around and bolted down the other path, his heart set to beat right out of his chest.

A knot of contradicting emotions flowed through him, fear, anger and shame ripping through his mind like daggers. His magic was gone.

_Well Nola, I might soon be able to see you again._ He thought as he rushed deeper into the Shadow Temple, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide forever…

* * *

Jack laughed heartily, taking another swig of his drink. He stood up, shaking his right hand and releasing, sending three dice rolling across the table. He gave a triumphant cry as the dice landed on all fives.

"Yes!" he shouted, gulping down the last of his ale.

A blonde woman sauntered over to him and leaned on his shoulder, her low-cut dress flowing around her ankles. She stroked his arm softly.

Jack grabbed the dice off of the table before another of the tavern guests could and stuffed them inside of his many pockets. He wore a thick leather cloak with four pockets on the inside, a red swatch of fabric was wrapped around his waist, and intricate embroidery played across the chest of his off-white shirt.

As he approached the bar to order another drink, the door to the tavern opened. He turned, two people were standing in the doorway, a man and a woman.

His could feel his jaw drop, the woman was absolutely stunning, with dark auburn hair hanging loosely around her shoulder blades and large, expressive blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires. Although her clothing was simple, it complemented her figure nicely, and made her even more attractive than she already was.

A low whistle escaped him. Then he noticed the man, his shoulders were broad, and his jaw was set in a firm line. His hair was a dark gold, and his eyes were almost a piercing blue. He was obviously a warrior of some kind, given the sword strapped to his back. The mark of the Gorons rested on the sword's scabbard.

The woman reached toward the warrior and grasped his arm, her face drawn tight with nerves, and Jack bristled slightly as the man leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. Jack couldn't hear what he said, but by the way the woman's face softened, he could tell it was some sort of reassurance.

Jack watched as the warrior led the beauty toward the bar, he casually followed suit, staying a tentative distance, but also staying close enough to hear what they had to say.

"Welcome to the Dogs' Leg bar and inn, how my I help you?" he could hear the bartender say.

"We'd like dinner, and a room." The woman answered.

"Link," She started, her voice was soft and melodious.

"Link, I'm not so sure I like this place." Malon said warily, looking at the clientele, her eyes then met with the young man sitting two barstools away, his gaze made her even more nervous. She scooted her stool closer to Link's so that her arm brushed against his.

Two plates of steaming food were set in front of them, slabs of meat and roasted potatoes. Link dug into the food, while Malon picked at it with her fork.

_Malon, you have to eat, I don't even no when you ate last, don't tell me it was breakfast the day you left._ Link said, looking over at her plate.

She sighed and took a bite of the meat, and quickly followed it with another, Link smiled, happy he had coerced her to eat.

They finished their meal in silence, too preoccupied by the pleasant sensation of eating, and as they pushed their plates away, the bartender returned.

"Did you enjoy?" he asked as he collected the plates.

"Oh, yes." Malon answered.

"Good, I'm happy to hear, that'll be twenty rupees for the food and another twenty for the room." He said turning to take the dishes away. Malon dug around in a pouch at her hip and sadly placed to red rupees on the counter.

"Well, Link, we're officially broke." She sighed. Link gave her a smug look.

_I told you not to buy these boots! _He retorted rather matter-of-factly, Malon scowled back at him.

"Can you even call what you had previously boots? They didn't even have any soles left! You were practically barefoot!"

Link sighed and rolled his eyes playfully.

"Link?" She said, breaking the momentary silence, "I'm tired, can we go to bed?"

Yeah, we can go to bed. He answered, putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her toward the stairs, he stopped just before ascending.

_Um, Malon? I have to take care of some…personal…business. Would you be ok for a minute on your own?_

"Yeah, I'll be fine, go." She told him, he nodded and quickly made his way for the door.

"Woo, where have you been hiding all my life?" a deep, seductive voice whispered in her ear. Malon whipped around, and the man from before was standing dangerously close to her back.

He flashed her a suave grin, looking her over from head-to-toe before giving her an approving whistle.

"Hello gorgeous." He said, following her as she slowly backed away.

Her back hit the wall, and he was still advancing, Malon's heartbeat rose, he stopped inches from her.

She gave him a disgusted look.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he asked, putting a hand on the wall next to her face. Out from under his cloak a small rustling sound came, and a sleek tortoiseshell cat crawled onto the man's shoulder. It's bright green eyes zeroed in on Malon. It had a bright orange splotch over it's right eye.

"That'a girl, Rendu. He said, putting a fingerless-gloved hand on the cat's head.

"If you're thinking a cat will win me over, then you are sorely mistaken, now I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone!" she said, trying to keep her tone even. He smirked at her.

"So, where ya from, luv? I haven't see you around before." He asked, his eyes narrow. Malon could not decide whether to slap him in the face, or knee him in a sensitive place.

The man gave a gasp as a hand grabbed his shoulder and threw him aside. Link moved in front of Malon, teeth bared aggressively. Rendu hissed and leapt onto the floor, fur raising angrily.

"Whoa dude! What's your problem? Couldn't you see I was having a conversation with the lady? It ain't none of your business."

Malon balled her hands into fists.

"It is every bit of his business! I'm his fiancé!" she growled.

The man's gaze fell upon her hands, he could see a simple blue hoop around one finger.

"Geeze, you call that an engagement ring?" he snarled.

"It's more than enough, you little rat!" Malon barked, her temper getting the better of her as the man drug himself to his feet.

Link and the man glared at each other for several tense moments, a quick movement caught Link's attention on his right side, and he ducked as a punch was thrown. In reflex, he threw his left fist toward the man, and connected with his eye, knocking him to the ground again and sending the cat reeling away, spitting.

Link took Malon by the arm hurriedly and led her up the stairs, ignoring the man's angered cries.

Ushering Malon inside, Link locked the door again in case the crazy man decided he wanted a second bout. He smiled as Malon flopped onto the bed without even changing clothes.

_Are you that tired?_ He asked as he painfully removed his vest and shirt and flung them over the back of a chair, sitting down on the opposite side.

"You stay up for days on end because a monster is holding you captive and say you're _not_ tired." She answered, her eyes still closed.

Link laid down on the bed and Malon scooted closer to him, until her side was pressed against his, she interlaced her fingers with his and pulled the covers up to her chest. Link did the same.

"Link?" Malon asked after several minutes.

Yes?

"I love you."

Link removed his fingers from her hand and instead slipped his arm under her shoulders to hug her closer.

_I love you too._

* * *

**K'ger: Ok, so there's yet another beast of a chapter. I had a lot of fun writing about Jack, so...yeah. I can't wait for the next one! **

**And the character song of the day, week, whatever this is!**

**Link and Malon's relationship**

**Summer by Calvin Harris**

**See you all soon, my faithful readers! (And YAY! I finally updated at a normal hour of the day!)**


	24. A hero gets kicked out

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, if I did I would lock Keapora Geabora in one of the Legend of Zelda CDI games! (It's shameful stuff!)

**Also, if anyone has any bad fates for Keapora Geabora, I'd love to hear it, your idea might just get used in one of the upcoming disclaimers!**

* * *

A hero gets kicked out

* * *

_She was standing in a dimly lit room, she looked around, sand shifted beneath her feet and the walls were a perpetual color of rust. A locked iron door served as the only exit, and was unusable. Malon took a step toward the door._

_ "__Hello." A soft, feminine voice said behind her. Malon whirled around, standing behind her in the locked room was a woman. She was about Malon's height, with shimmering white hair that hung around her shoulder blades and saddened eyes the color rubies. Her dress was a plain black, and hung loosely from the waist down to her slender calves._

_ "__W-who are you?" Malon asked, holding her hands over her heart, a bead of sweat dripping off of her chin, it was very hot._

_ "__You don't recognize me?" The girl said, startling her. Recognize her? She did seem somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen her before._

_ "__You see me often."_

_ "__What? What're You-"_

Malon woke up with a start, her breath coming in short gasps, her body relaxed when she realized Link's strong arms around her waist, his warm breath ghosting over her neck and ear. She sighed quietly and shifted in the bed, she could feel Link wake as she did. His fingers rubbed across her abdomen flirtatiously.

"Bad dream?" a voice whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, I guess."

They went silent for a small amount of time before Malon suddenly ripped herself from his grip.

She looked at the bed, Link looked at her with shining crimson eyes.

"What's the matter, darling? Something wrong?" Dark asked deviously, his black hair contrasting his pale complexion...

* * *

Malon screamed, sitting up in the bed, Link gave a groan of displeasure as his comfortable position was disrupted.

_Mal? What's wrong?_ He asked groggily in his familiar voice.

She scrabbled away from him, nearly sending Link toppling off of the bed. He gave her a worried and confused look.

"Link? Is that you?" she asked, standing at the edge of the bed and looking into his groggy but still brilliant blue eyes.

_Um…yes? I think I'm me, last time I checked-_

Malon pressed her lips to his in a frightened sort of kiss, cutting him off. She leaned into him, hugging his form and trembling, he could feel hot tears dripping off of her cheeks.

Another scream caught the both of them off guard.

_Was that you?_ Link asked her, pulling away.

Malon shook her head.

And yet another scream pierced the otherwise chilling silence.

"Do you smell…smoke?" She asked.

…_Yeah, but…why?_

Link rolled out of the bed and grabbed his shirt, vest and sword off of the chair as Malon approached the door. She put a hand to the knob and jumped back with a yelp. Link was by her side in an instant.

_What?_

She looked at him with frightened eyes.

"I think the place is on fire!" She told him, he grabbed the knob and suppressed a groan as the metal burned his palm. He threw the door open, and they were met with plumes of white smoke and waves of heat.

Link grabbed Malon's wrist and drug her into the smoke, covering his nose with the side of his arm and heading for the stairs. His sense of direction was off, because of the hazy smoke all around them, but he could remember quite clearly that they had to go left to exit.

He nearly fell down the stairs when he reached them, not expecting to reach them so fast and tripping down the first few steps. He let go of Malon's wrist so as to not pull her down with him, and gasped as the steps he had fallen past crumbled, flames erupting from beneath. Malon gave a shriek and stopped herself instants before she fell into the flames.

Malon? Are you ok? Link called.

"Yeah, I'm fine! But now what?" she screamed in reply.

Link looked around desperately, his stomach in knots as he realized that there was no other way up or down. Malon was trapped.

He looked at the gaping hole that separated him from his fiancé, it was too far to jump, and he couldn't jump through flames anyway.

Something whizzed past him toward the second floor, startling Link. Someone, by means bizarre and unknown to Link, zoomed through the flames and landed next to Malon. There was a loud sound, like splintering wood as the figure rammed an apparently steel-toed boot into the wall, breaking it open.

He could hear Malon give a cry of shock and displeasure. Link saw that the figure had wrapped an arm around her waist and could hear a strange, metallic sound, Malon gave another squeal and the silhouette of his fiancé and the unknown person disappeared outside.

Link growled silently and sprinted down the stairs, dodging flames as he made his way for the tavern doors. The metal handles burned his palms again, but he threw the door open and rushed into the dark outside, gasping as fresh air filled his lungs. His eyes had trouble adjusting to the faint moonlight, but he could plainly see Malon and the figure standing about thirty feet in front of him.

"GET YOUR GRUBBY PAWS OFF OF ME!" He could hear Malon shout, slapping the figure on the cheek. He, for it was in fact a man, let go and Malon fled his grip, rushing to Link's side. As he approached, Link started to make out the man's features, and his whole body stiffened. It was the man who had hit-on Malon in the bar earlier.

Link pulled Malon into a protective embrace, baring his teeth at the man, who was standing with his arms spread wide.

"Well your _welcome_ for saving your life!" He snarled, Malon shifted around in Link's arms to shoot a death glare at him.

Several more inn patrons were standing around them, all too dazed to know what to do. Link was just happy that he and Malon had made it out. His mind desperately tried to figure out why the inn had started on fire as Malon shivered in his grip, looking down, he blushed as he realized that some time during the night she had changed into a somewhat revealing nightgown. It had a low-cut chest and was made out of pink fabric that only reached her mid-thigh.

His emotions changed from embarrassment to anger as he realized how close the man had gotten to Malon. He truly wished he had his voice back, because he had several choice words for the pervert.

Several people screamed as, all of the sudden, about eight horses suddenly galloped out from behind the inn and right into the crowd. Even in the dim moonlight, everyone could see the riders were women, with long red hair pulled into ponytails and light pink veils over their mouths. The horses were dark tan, with black points on their muzzles and legs.

They were obviously Gerudo warriors.

The Gerudo circled the group of patrons, trapping them in place as they drew long, menacing scimitars from scabbards at their hips. Malon and Link shifted around warily as the women all looked toward the burning inn. Another horse, much larger than the suspected mustangs, with a midnight-black coat and fiery red mane jumped through the flames. It pranced a few steps, causing Link to guess that it was a stallion.

The stallion approached and Link paled as he recognized his rider. Tall and looming, with hair the same fiery red as his steed, Ganondorf rode toward the group, a sliver-black cloak draped over the stallion's hindquarters.

The green-skinned man smirked at the people as they cowered in his presence, and let loose a frightening laugh as a little girl screamed in the crowd. Link looked toward the girl, she was squirming in one of the Gerudo's grip, being held up by the back of her simple white dress with blue patterned trim. Link could feel his stomach plummet from underneath him, and Malon's nails dug into his arm in frenzied terror. The little girl wriggled around, sending her long red hair flying around her frightened blue eyes.

Romani.

Link's mind started running on over-drive, _why was Romani here? Why did the Gerudo want her? Where was Talon? And where was Epona?_

Ganondorf rode up to the Gerudo holding Romani and took her into his own grip. He looked at her for a moment before saying, "This one will do."

"Hey! You! Get away from her!" Malon screamed suddenly. Making Link cringe for more than one reason.

_Oh goddesses._

Ganondorf looked their way and his amber eyes met Link's.

"You." He said, recognizing Link. His stallion pranced forward a few steps, and Romani gave a desperate sob.

"Get away from her you green-skinned freak!" Malon affronted, gripping Link's arm even tighter.

_Mal, you might want to cool down just a little bit._ Link told her, wincing as her grip tightened still.

Link could feel his upper lip rise in a fierce snarl as Ganondorf looked Malon over with an interested look in his harsh amber eyes.

"Not bad, why don't you bring her too." He said to one of the Gerudo warriors. Purely by reflex, Link unsheathed the Biggorons Sword, which surprised him with its weight, and forced him to use both hands as he stood defensively between the Gerudo and Malon.

The Gerudo tried to dodge past him, but with a simple flick of his wrist, he sent the tip of his blade snipping into the Gerudo's right arm. She gave a pained yelp and jumped away.

Romani looked up and saw Link and Malon.

"Uncle Link! Auntie Malon!" she cried, words slurring with her tears.

Ganondorf looked at the little girl still in his grip.

"Oh, is this yours?" He asked in a cold, fearsome voice.

Link could feel Malon bristle behind him, and put out a hand to prevent her from rushing out to attack Ganon. Although he had to admit that Malon was at least as strong as he was, and she could definitely throw a good punch, he knew she couldn't take Ganon, even he couldn't do that.

"Well, I think I'll hang on to this one." He snarled, the stallion reared up, striking at Link with massive hooves before galloping off in the direction of the Desert with the Gerudo warriors following closely behind.

Link and Malon bolted after the retreating Gerudo, feet pounding on the dew-covered grass until they reached a narrow dirt path enclosed by two high cliff walls.

They slowed to a careful jog as they entered the tunnel-like passage, something didn't feel right. There was a strange, impending thickness to the air that made Link feel like he was being watched.

As they continued through the valley, Link stopped Malon suddenly, and pushed her aside as something leapt down from the ledge and landed where they had been standing mere moments before. Link and Malon glanced over, and saw that one of the Gerudo warriors had hung back, she had obviously been waiting for them.

With the Gerudo horse behind them, there was only one way to go, forward. And they did so, as fast as their feet would carry them. They could almost feel the mighty horse's breath on their necks as they ran, they couldn't keep up the pace much longer, and then Gerudo would overtake them.

As the horse came even closer to them, Link gave a silent cry of shock as something connected with his lower calf, his sharp intake of breath caused Malon to stop and turn, and as a result, she was drug to the ground with him as he fell. The Gerudo horse leapt over them, and stopped in the path ahead, hooves dancing inches from their faces.

Link and Malon looked up at the Gerudo warrior, she had an expression the was borderline of confusion, as she glowered down at them with narrow amber eyes.

Growling to himself, Link dragged himself to his feet…or tried to, something prevented him from making it more than a few feet off of the ground and, not expecting to be stopped, lost his balance and fell to the ground again. Malon looked down at him, almost embarrassed.

Link gave a frustrated glance at his leg, he could feel his skin turn white as his eyes focused on what was stopping him. He could hear Malon gasp.

"Um…Link? You-you've got something on your leg!"

_I am aware of that! _He replied, trying to keep his voice calm as he stared, wide-eyed at the skeletal hand that was gripping his ankle.

"Well, my job was to kill you, but I think I'll leave that pleasure to the Stallchildren." The Gerudo warrior hissed, turning her horse and galloping down the path and out of sight.

Link wrenched his ankle from the hand's grip and leapt to his feet, he grabbed his sword off of the ground where he had dropped at and pushed Malon along the path. There was a loud scratching sound behind them, and Link struggled to hold himself together as he glanced back the way they had come. Five short, disgusting skeletons were hobbling after them empty eye sockets glowing red in the dark.

Small bits of rotting flesh still hung to their bones, and they lashed out with razor sharp claws as they sped up. Link pushed Malon into a run, and ignored a stinging feeling in his side as he ran. He knew one of the claws must have connected.

They continued running, panting heavily as the Stallchildren pursued.

"What are those things?" Malon screamed, gripping Link's arm tightly as they ran up a hill. The path they were following was headed into a rust-colored valley.

_They're Stallchildren! Monsters that appear at night to hunt unwary travelers!_ He answered, rushing his fiancé toward the valley. He heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the sun, a gentle crown of bright yellow light cresting the horizon. A satisfied smirk curled across his lips as he heard violent shrieks behind them, glancing over his shoulder, he could see the Stallchildren disintegrate into dust as the sunlight hit them.

He and Malon slowed down immediately, their feet dragging the ground and arms hanging limp at their sides. They were exhausted.

Boy, that would've been so much easier if we had Epona. Link panted, finally flopping onto the ground and laying flat. Malon sat down beside him.

"So, where is Epona anyway? You didn't lose her, did you?"

A deep scarlet blush crossed Link's cheeks.

Well, I didn't lose her, I told her to go and take care of Romani. So I don't know what happened.

They went silent for a long while, the only sounds being their labored breaths.

"Link?" Malon asked, breaking the silence.

_Yeah?_

"How did you know what those monsters were?"

Link opened his eyes and looked at her, his left hand came to rest on his side, concealing the cut he had received.

_I…well…I met them when I was a kid. I was being stupid as went out into the field at night, they attacked me, and I wouldn't have survived if an old guy named Dampe hadn't saved me. He kind of took me in after that. _

Malon looked at him, somewhat shocked.

"You mean you were an orphan?"

_Uh…yeah…sort of._ He lied, not wishing to talk about his father.

"Your hands." Malon said, confusing Link.

"Your hands are burned."

Link lifted his hands into the air and looked at them. Dark, purplish-red marks were spread across his palms.

"What did you do?" Malon asked, taking Link's hands in her's, he winced as he delicate fingers brushed against his injured hands. He wondered how he had managed to hold the Biggorons sword with burned palms, but he narrowed it down to adrenaline.

_Door handles._

Link stood up, ignoring his body's complaints as he walked toward a long rope bridge. His eyes immediately went to the deep valley that the bridge spanned, it was a hundred foot drop to the rushing water below.

Malon came up to him and looked over his shoulder at the opposite side of the bridge. Two Gerudo warriors were guarding the entrance to the Gerudo Fortress.

"They took Romani past those gates, didn't they?" she whispered. Link nodded.

Without a second thought, Link strode onto the bridge. The two Gerudo glared at him as he approached.

"Who're you?" One of them asked, stamping the butt of her spear on the bridge.

Malon rushed after Link.

"I repeat, who are you and what do you want? Hylian citizens aren't allowed."

"My niece is in there, you will let us pass, or else I have a bucket of rotten eggs waiting for you." Malon snarled. Link winced again as he put a hand on the hilt of the Biggorons sword.

"Is that a threat?" The other Gerudo snarled. Malon bristled against Link.

"Your niece? I highly doubt that. You're Hylians, and we'd have spotted her a mile away."

"I don't like what you're insinuating." Malon growled in reply.

"What's going on down there?" A third voice said, startling Link and Malon. Another Gerudo was sitting astride a great brown and white paint stallion on a ledge above the gate. This Gerudo was different, with her hair in a more intricate ponytail and a seashell pink clothes instead of the traditional purple. Her eyes resembled that of Ganondorf's.

"Mistress Naboru." The two guards said, bowing their heads in respect.

"These two Hylians are trying to gain access to the fortress. What should we do?"

Naboru kicked the stallion forward and leapt down to the bridge. Malon gave a small cry as the bridge shook with the stallion's weight.

"Get out of here!" Naboru cried, the stallion cantered toward them, and left Link and Malon no option but to retreat. The stallion stopped at the end of the bridge and tossed it's massive head.

"Leave us alone!" Naboru snorted, her stallion reared up and swung around, trotting back across the bridge. Upon reaching the other side, Naboru drew her own scimitar and sliced through the two ropes holding that side up.

Link and Malon watched sadly as the bridge fell, leaving them no way to enter the Gerudo Fortress.

Malon slumped to her knees.

"It's pointless, we're never going to get in there now!" She cried.

"I can get you in." Someone said behind them. Link jolted around, and couldn't help but snarl.

The man from the bar was leaning against one of the rust colored valley walls, a crude smirk on his face…

* * *

**K'ger: Well, there you go, that was an important chapter, and, just so you know, the details about Romani were vague on purpose. Most of it will be explained in the next chapter, so hang with me! Shout out to Link'sLily for the constant help and being the most loyal reader ever!**

**Ok, so I have to address two people other than Link'sLily.**

**Twiliwolf13 - About Darkenna, you can do what ever you want, in your mind or on the computer or what ever you want, but I'm not going to reveal anything on who ends up with who. you'll just have to wait and see.**

**Mike(Guest) -Thanks so much for the "Awesome" reviews! And thanks for the gold star! *sticks gold star on virtual bedroom wall***

**And now its time for an anouncment: we are going to start updating on a schedule, Wednesdays and Fridays, and with (including this chapter) only nine chapters and the epilogue left, that means there's only five more weeks of Silence is Golden!**


	25. A hero dresses like a girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the _legend of Zelda. _If I did, I would strap the Bremen Mask on Keapora Geabora so that all the Cuccos would follow him.

**K'ger: Heya readers! I'm back again! woo, this is a really important chapter, so read carefully!**

**And now a big ol' shout out to Link'sLily, her story, According to Legend is SOOO amazing! She's working for twenty followers, so go and follow it! You won't regret it! Even more shout out, Link'sLily wrote a paragraph for the chapter, it's below the tenth line!**

* * *

A hero dresses like a girl

* * *

"You again? Why are you following us?" Malon snarled, standing up and glaring at the man, who smirked back at her. He flicked a fold of his thick leather cloak aside and pushed himself off of the wall.

"That fire was boring, so I figured I'd come and see what was happening on this side of the world, and it just so happens that when I get there, I'm greeted by an angel…and a demon." He replied, glaring in Link's direction.

"Who are you?" Malon asked, moving to stand by Link. The man chuckled softly as if they were stupid for not knowing.

"Huh, for once my reputation doesn't precede me. I'm Jack. I'm surprised you can even resist me, most women I've met since coming to Hyrule cannot bear to leave me alone." He snorted, looking at Malon with a somewhat perturbed glint in his green eyes. She rolled her eyes.

"What do you want? As you can see we're a little busy here."

Malon stiffened in anger as Jack started to laugh.

"Didn't you hear me the first time? I can get you in."

Malon narrowed her blue eyes.

"Yeah? And what's in it for you?"

"I get to spend some more time around you, sweetheart."

The more Jack spoke, the more tempted Link felt to cock back his fist and deliver a blow to Jack's nose, enjoying the satisfying crack he would feel and hear of the bone. When Jack took a few more daring steps towards them, his muscles tightened with aggression and he stared daggers, like a threatened, untrained dog

"If you want in that mad-house, I suggest you follow me." He said, turning his back to them and striding back into the narrow valley they had originally come from.

"What do you think?" Malon asked Link, looking up at him, "do we trust him? He _is_ a major league creep."

Link stayed quiet for a moment, weighing the options.

_I don't think we have much of a choice, and besides, if this turns out bad and he lays a finger on you, I'll just rip his throat out, okay?_

Link and Malon followed reluctantly as Jack led them through the valley and back into Hyrule Field. He jogged off to the left and stopped near a large rock.

Link and Malon stopped a few feet behind him and exchanged confused looks.

"And what exactly is so fascinating about a rock? If you don't mind, could we please hurry up? My niece is in there, and I'd rather not think about what those monsters will do to her." Malon said, crossing her arms across her chest in impatience.

"Hold on to your horses ma'am, I'm getting there, you can't rush genius." Jack responded, cocking his head to one side and looking at the rock upside-down.

Link scuffed his feet on the ground and looked around, bored. This was taking to long.

Finally, Jack grabbed the rock with both hands and pushed, and with a deep groan, he shoved the rock aside, revealing a deep hole.

He saluted Link and Malon and then, without another word, leapt into the hole, disappearing into the dark. Malon gave Link an unsure look.

Malon gave a small yelp as Link wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the hole.

As they fell, one sound drowned out all others, Malon's scream.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS!" She screeched, her fingers digging into Link's shoulder.

They landed on a hard wooden floor. Link broke Malon's fall, and Malon landed right on top of him. Their eyes met, and a very intimate moment passed between. Forgetting entirely about Jack, Link brushed a loose strand of her auburn hair away from her eyes.

Malon leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Would you two love-birds get up already?" Jack barked, leaning over the two of them. Link and Malon scrambled to their feet and, standing there, realized that, somehow, they were in a bar.

It was a dimly lit room, with low wooden ceilings and a fireplace at one side. A bar stood farthest from them, and close to twenty tables were scattered about the room. Several patrons glowered at them from over their bubbling tankards. Malon clung to Link's arm, whimpering at the sight of the bar patrons, the one closest to them growled, almost like a wolf, and guzzled his tankard in one drink. He slammed the tankard down onto the table and let loose a mighty belch.

Malon narrowed her eyes in disgust and followed as Jack led her and Link toward the bar.

The bartender was a huge, hulking man, with greasy black hair that hung in thick dreadlocks down his back, his leather vest seemed too small. It barely covered his chest and seemed ready to pop with every move the man made.

He glanced toward them as they approached, and grabbed a dirty tankard from the shelf behind him, he snatched a equally dirty rag from his pocket and spat into the tankard, using the spit to clean the glass.

"Well, hello there Jack, long time, no see." The bartender greeted, Jack tipped his head and slipped onto one of the stools, Link and Malon hung back, uncomfortable about the whole situation.

"Hello Drog, good to see you."

"Where are we?" Malon asked, looking around and swallowing roughly as her eyes met several harsh gazes from some of the bar patrons.

"Welcome to The Grotto, Hyrule's black market," Jack answered, gesturing at the room, "you can buy practically anything you could want here, it's a refuge for thieves and criminals."

"So, what are you in the market for today, Jack?" Drog asked, filling the tankard with bubbling yellow liquid and handing it to Jack.

"These two need to get into the Gerudo Fortress." Jack told the bartender. A knowing expression crossed the hulking man's face.

"Ah, ok, just give me a minute." The bartender said, stomping out from behind the counter and heading for one of the tables at the far end of the bar.

Link and Malon both closed their eyes as Jack took a drink from the spit-cleaned glass.

_Eww! Just…eww!_ Link moaned inwardly. Malon nodded her head in agreement as Jack continued drinking.

The bartender returned several minutes later with a bundle of fabric.

"Here ya go, Jack, if your friends wear this, they'll get in for sure." He handed Malon the clothes.

"That'll be a hundred rupees."

Malon nearly dropped the clothes, and glanced at Link, who gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Link! We're completely broke! I can't afford that!" She whispered in his ear.

_We could skip out on them, take the clothes and run._ He suggested.

"Have you seen the clientele? I don't think we'd make it five feet."

Link looked around the room.

_Yeah, you make a good point._

Jack stood up from the stool and strode over to Link.

"What's the matter Blondie? Can't afford to buy your lady some new clothes?" He chided loud enough for Drog to hear.

"You know, Ma'am. If you're low on money, I can think of ways for you to 'work' for your clothes."

Malon took a disgusted step backward, and growled, softening as Link put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side.

"No…just…no, I'm not doing that." Malon snapped, shaking her head. Drog put his massive hands on his hips.

"Well then, you're not getting the clothes."

They could both hear Jack sigh.

"Wait." He groaned, reaching into a pocket and pulling out two purple rupees.

After being handed the clothes, he shot a death glare at Link.

"You _owe_ me." He hissed, leading them into a back room of the bar. Beyond the door, they happened upon a staircase.

The stairs came out behind a boulder about fifty feet from where they had entered the bar.

"Oh come on! You mean we didn't have to jump into the hole?" Malon screamed, taking in the area, with it's scarlet cliffs and dusty ground.

Jack handed Malon a set of clothes and tossed the rest at Link, hitting him in the face.

"Better go change."

Link looked down at the jumble of clothing in his hands, a disgusted expression crossed his face, and he looked up.

_I'm not wearing this._ He said plainly.

"Huh? What's wrong, Link?" Malon asked.

_I think grubby over there made a mistake._

"What're you talking about Link?"

He held up the shirt, it was a purple swatch of fabric fitted to a woman's' curves.

Malon suppressed a laugh.

_They're girls' clothes!_

"What's wrong with Blondie?" Jack asked, striding over to them with his arms crossed, a knowing smirk already curled across his slender lips.

"You bought him girls clothes."

"Well that's not my fault, you want in that fortress, right? Well the only way to do that is to pretend to be a woman, they're all female on that side of the ravine."

Link and Malon gave him a confused look.

"Really? Then how do they have kids?"

"Well…just because they have a slanted view of the male persuasion, it doesn't stop them from going out and finding…boyfriends." He said, his cheeks tinted red a little bit as he broached an embarrassing subject.

"If you want to get in that fortress, you better get changed, so get a move on, the gates close at dusk."

* * *

_I hate this._ Link moaned, stepping reluctantly out from behind the rock where he had changed his clothes_. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this and I'm going to kill Jack for buying these!_

Malon turned and couldn't stop from laughing. He looked ridiculous in the girls' clothing. The chest covering had apparently been too loose and he had tied a knot on one side to make it fit, and the pants were almost too tight.

"Ah, now you know a woman's daily struggle. Not enough on top, too much on the bottom!" She managed to gasp between fits of laughter.

But Link couldn't hear her, with his mouth fully agape, he couldn't help but stare at Malon. Shimmering purple fabric was wrapped tightly around her chest, and her purple trousers hugged her lower hips. Her long hair had been pulled into a highly placed ponytail, and the late morning sun glinted off of her auburn tresses, making them shine.

"What? Is it too revealing?" She asked, looking down at her clothing skeptically.

_Well, it could be more revealing, if you're asking me._ He said, a crooked smile on his face.

"Oh! Knock it off, Link! This is no time for flirting!" She scolded. Link looked at her curiously.

_Oh really? And why is that?_

"Well, first of all, I don't feel like it right now, and second, you're supposed to be a _girl_." Malon replied, chuckling softly. Link looked down at his current array of clothing and a slight blush tinted his cheeks.

_Oh, yeah, right._

"You ready to go, Blondie?" A voice asked from behind him, Link whipped around. Jack laughed at the sight of him.

"And might I add that the clothes fit you perfectly! What with the non-existent waistline and the pure lack of…chest." He chided, looking at Link with a cruel glint in his green eyes.

His eyes then darted to Malon, and chiding words that had been formulating on his tongue drawled off. He whistled flirtatiously, making Malon give him a disgusted glance before she strode away, not even arguing with him.

Jack gave a yelp of shock and displeasure as Link boxed his ear. Link shot him a look that clearly read, "Back off" before he strode away after Malon, who was heading for the edge of the ravine.

He pointed at the light pink veil clenched in her fist.

"Oh, right. Thanks Link." She muttered, tying the veil behind one ear. Link did the same with his own, making himself feel even more ridiculous.

"So, grubby, how exactly are we getting over there?" Malon asked, hands on her hips and glaring at the downed bridge.

"Wha-? Grubby? Who're you calling grubby? Have you seen your fiancés toes? They look like rotting potatoes!"

Link bared his teeth.

_And what business did you have looking at my feet?_ He thought angrily.

"That's how." Jack snorted, pointing across the plateau they were standing on. A large white Cucco was scratching around at the far end, minding his own business.

"You can't be serious!" Malon shouted, looking at Jack, and then at the Cucco, and then back at Jack.

"Oh, I'm plenty serious. That thing is your only ticket to the camp of angry ladies and certain doom, so better run off and catch it, Blondie!"

Link shook his head and stomped off toward the bird, grinding his teeth together, thoroughly annoyed.

After five minutes, Link managed to catch the Cucco in a flurry of feathers.

"Are you sure this thing can carry both of us?" Malon asked, eyes narrow in skepticism.

"Oh sure, it'll be able to carry you. There've been lots of times where I had to get away from someone with a Cucco."

* * *

_What ever you do, don't let go, ok Mal?_

Malon hugged her arms even tighter around his shoulders, almost a little too tight, but Link didn't stop her. He'd rather her choke him for a few seconds than have her fall mid-flight.

"Welp, better get going Blondie!" Jack shouted suddenly, shoving Link forward. Malon screamed as they flew into the air, the Cucco flapped it's wings wildly, straining to hold their weight.

"DOESN'T ANYONE REALIZE THAT I. HATE. HEIGHTS?!" Malon screeched, her eyes tightly shut and her fingernails digging into Link's shoulder.

"Goddesses! We're dead! We're dead I just know it!" Malon said, Link's shoulder muffling her words.

_We're not dead. Malon look, Jack actually did something right._

Malon pulled away and slowly looked around. They had actually made it to the other side of the ravine, and the Gerudo gates were fifty feet ahead. She slowly let go of his shoulders.

But as Malon stepped forward, Link gasped and dove toward her, she slumped backward, her body caving underneath her weight. As Link caught her, it was then that he noticed her skin was unusually pale and she was sweating profusely. It seemed like she had suddenly gotten woozy. Maybe that flight had done more harm than he had thought.

_Are you alright? _Link asked worriedly, still holding her, Malon held up a hand and shook her head as if shaking a strange sensation.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I don't know what happened there, just suddenly got…light-headed." She explained, taking a breath and regaining her footing.

_You sure you're ok with doing this? Would you rather stay here?_

"And sit near grubby back there? No way! I'm fine Link, just had a…slip up, I guess."

Link carefully let go of Malon when he was sure she was still ok, he would have liked to continue supporting her by the shoulder as they approached the gates, but that would've been too suspicious.

They slowly made their way toward the gates, trying to look inconspicuous as they approached the two Gerudo guards.

Link and Malon looked at each other in utter confusion as they strode right past the guards.

_By the goddesses, did that seriously just happen?_ Link asked.

Malon nodded still somewhat dumbstruck. She tried to hide that expression as they continued into the fortress. _Were the Gerudo really that dumb?_

* * *

"Your ladyships, you requested my presence?" Naboru asked, stepping into a poorly constructed tent near the edge of the Fortress. Two wrinkled old women were sitting on a tall stack of brightly colored carpets, disgusting smelling incense burned on dragon-shaped holders at their feet.

They were clothed in dark robes, and their stark white hair was pulled into identical buns, one hair band was adorned with a ruby, the other with a sapphire.

"Mistress Naboru, we have some information that you might deem interesting." The one on the left cackled.

"Yes, you might be interested in hearing what we have to say." The one on the right laughed. Naboru sighed to herself, the Twinrova could be so confusing.

She dropped to the sandy floor and folded herself into a cross-legged position, placing a hand on each knee.

"Three souls approach the Fortress," Koume started, pointing a wrinkled finger toward the fortress entrance.

"three Hylian souls." Kotake finished.

Naboru shifted in her place.

"Who are they?" She asked, the old women started cackling loudly.

"We cannot see names, only shapes, and souls, and hearts."

They went silent all of a sudden, eyes closed.

"Strange," Kotake muttered, "I sense three heartbeats, three souls,"

"But only two bodies." Koume finished.

Naboru narrowed her harsh amber eyes in confusion.

"What does that mean, your Ladyships?"

"I sense a male, and a female, and…that's quite odd,"

"I cannot discern the third soul's gender. Very peculiar."

Naboru puzzled at the elder witches' mutterings, they made no sense. Three Hylian souls, three heartbeats, two bodies? How was that possible?

"Never the less. You must go and eradicate them _all._ I can sense their purpose, they are enemies of his Royal Highness, Ganondorf."

"Yes, your Ladyships." Naboru answered, nodding her head and rising.

"Be careful, young mistress, the male carries an unusual power. He is one of the chosen."

Naboru exited the tent, and mounted her paint stallion. Her mind was still boggling at Twinrova's prophetic way of speaking. Three heartbeats, two bodies. What did that mean?

_Oh well, I don't have time to wonder, it's time to protect my charge, just like my lord has said, attack first, think later. _

Naboru spurred her stallion down the dusty path, scimitar in hand and eyes searching for the two-three-however many intruders that had infiltrated her home.

* * *

**K'ger: Yeah, so I lied last chapter, the details about Romani will be in the NEXT chapter! And uh oh! What on earth could be wrong with Malon? I'm so terrible, but you'll just have to wait for Friday!**

**You know the drill, read and review please!**

**See you later, readers!**


	26. A hero gets unexpected news

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I'd make Keapora Geabora disappear like a magician. POOF! gone!

**K'ger: Hi readers! Sorry about not updating on time yesterday, there's this thing called "shopping" and it takes my family, like, four hours to shop!**

**Shout out to Link'sLily! Her story ATL doesn't get near as much attention as it deserves! Go, go, go readers! Read her story!**

**Anyway, here's the chapter!**

* * *

A hero gets unexpected news

* * *

_You still ok? Not woozy? _Link asked, glancing over at Malon as they trudged up a steep dirt path, they could hear a thrum of noise ahead of them, signifying that they were nearing the fortress.

"I'm fine, Link. Would you stop worrying?" She responded, looking over at him with a tired expression. Link looked at Malon carefully, although her complexion was still pale, her eyes and hair were almost radiant, with sparkling flecks of sapphire in her eyes and the bright sunlight setting her hair agleam.

_You nearly fainted, Mal. How can I not worry?_

"Shh! Be quiet!" She hissed, pushing her shoulder into his and steering him toward the right valley wall. _Be quiet? I wasn't even talking out loud in the first place!_

They crouched behind a rock, taking shelter in the dark shadow it cast as two Gerudo warriors rode hastily in their direction. One held a drawn scimitar, the other brandished a bow, one arrow notched and another gritted between her teeth.

"They can't have gotten far, we'll catch them for sure." The one with the scimitar stated, pulling her horse back into a slow trot.

"We'd better, or Mistress Naboru will have our heads. We can't let Hylians into the fortress."

_They know we're here._

The horses stopped all of a sudden, ears flicking back-and-forth as if trying to detect something they couldn't see. The Gerudo warriors both looked down at their steeds, unsure of what was happening for a moment. Their gazes' hardened as they too started to look around.

"They're here somewhere, the horses can sense them."

Link and Malon shrunk even further behind the rock, praying to the goddesses above that they wouldn't get caught. Link gently put a hand on her back, keeping his eyes on the Gerudo.

"There's one of them!" the Gerudo guards shouted, their horses jumping forward. Link grabbed Malon by the waist and pulled her tightly into his side, using his own body for protection, preparing to be grabbed, or for a blade to cut into his flesh.

Several minutes passed, and nothing happened, the only sounds were their nervous breaths, his ghosting over Malon's neck. _What's going on? Where did they go?_

Link carefully lifted his frame away from Malon and looked over his shoulder. The Gerudo horses were pacing along the edge of the ravine, their riders shouting rude words and shooting arrows at someone on the other side.

Jack was seated atop a large dun horse, with a black mane and tail. The horse jumped out of the way of an arrow and tossed its angular head.

_Where did Jack get a horse? _Link wondered, watching as Jack started laughing at the arrow.

"Whoa, might want to work on your aim, ladies!" Jack taunted, spurring his horse around the rust-colored plateau.

_Malon, now's our chance, go! Go!_ Link urged, pulling Malon up from her crouch by the shoulders and pushing her further up the path. As they rounded a sharp bend, the path widened out into a colossal bowl. What looked to be hundreds of small, adobe style houses were built into the cavernous walls, several were so high up that the only way to access them was by ladder.

As they took a few more steps forward, they were hit with the over-powering and acrid scent of iron, the Gerudo were obviously well versed in the art of metalworking. Shining iron ornaments hung above almost every door, delicately shaped birds flying in flocks or horses caught mid-stride or even what looked to be fire-breathing dragons. Link guessed that the ornaments designated rank among tribe members.

He could hear a faint pounding sound, most likely a hammer being brought down on an anvil.

Malon looked around unsurely, her blue eyes brimming with worry and apprehension. At that moment, as Link looked over in her direction, he felt something strange, an entirely new emotion. She looked almost…fragile. He suddenly felt an intense need to protect her, a desire to wrap her in his arms and act as a shield. _Her_ shield.

He resisted the urge, the behavior would be considered odd by the Gerudo, and would completely ruin their disguises, instead, he patted her shoulder softly and motioned with his head that she follow as he strode, as confidently as he could, into the fortress.

Several Gerudo were milling around the encampment, some were sharpening weapons, while others' could plainly be heard bartering for different items. Link slowed for a moment, deciding which direction to go. One gateway intrigued him, a tall archway bore a metal insignia of three horses and riders, all three riders brandishing bows and arrows.

Lets try up there. He said, motioning again for Malon to follow him as he made his way toward the arch. None of the Gerudo seemed the least bit interested in them, and didn't pay them even a passing glance.

As they hiked up a steep incline, a shrill whinny came from above them, followed closely by the voices of two Gerudo.

"Would you settle down?" One voice cried.

"Stupid horse! Calm down!" Another shouted. Malon cringed as a loud cracking sound followed, and the horse whinnied again.

They crested the hill, at the top was a large horse stable, a single row of stalls stood across from them, several dun horses like the ones they had seen the night before were housed in the stable. In front of the stable, tied to a thick vertical post was an enormous red horse, with a shimmering white mane and tail. The horse reared up, fighting her ropes and striking the post with enormous hooves.

"Epona." Malon breathed, reaching forward and gripping Link's shoulder for support. Link could hear her breath hitch inside her throat as one of the Gerudo raised a long black whip above her head and sent it flying toward Epona.

But Epona thought quickly, and jumped to the side, wrenching her head from the rope halter that had restrained her. She jumped into the air victoriously and bolted in Link and Malon's direction, hooves sending great chunks of earth flying as she galloped, free of the whips reach.

Malon let go of Link's arm and stepped directly into Epona's path. Link went pale as the enormous mare continued to charge, threatening to trample his fiancé.

But to his great amazement, Epona skidded to a halt mere seconds before reaching Malon. Link could see their eyes meet, and watched as Malon put out a gentle hand and stroked the mare's nose.

"That's my good girl." He could hear her whisper, Epona leaned into her soft palm, nickering softly in pleasure of her master's company.

"Hey, let go of that horse! That horse belongs to his Royal Highness, Ganondorf!" One of the Gerudo shouted, running over to them and waving an angry fist, the other Gerudo following closely behind her.

They stopped five feet away from Link and Malon, and gave them unsure stares, their amber eyes narrow in skepticism.

"Who are you? I don't recognize you." The first Gerudo snarled, she reached back and gripped a large bow that was strapped over her shoulder.

Malon fumbled with her words for a moment, unsure of what to say, but, to her relief, she didn't even have to come up with an excuse.

Link snuck behind the Gerudo, a rock in his hand, and as the Gerudo sensed him, he rammed the rock against the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. The other Gerudo tried to attack him, but instead, Epona struck out with a huge back hoof.

"Wow." Malon uttered, clutching both hands to her chest.

Epona whickered and nuzzled her shoulder, sniffing her softly. She suddenly pulled away, and let one ear drop.

_You smell different._ She neighed softly. The ear pricked up again, and she swung her massive head around to look at Link, reaching forward and sniffing his shoulder. After sniffing him for a minute, she swung back over to Malon, her eyes had a glint of some kind of knowledge, like she knew an inside joke.

_You smell like him. His scent is all over you. What have you been doing while I was gone? _She snorted, Link and Malon exchanged confused glances.

_What on earth are you-? Oh, never mind! We don't have time for this, lets go. Romani isn't here._ Link sighed, turning and motioning for the both of them to follow him back down the incline and into the fortress.

As they made it back to the main area of the fortress, Malon spotted a strange looking tent near a large gate at the opposite side of the fort.

"That looks interesting, maybe we could find some info in there? I feel like I'm almost…drawn to it." Malon whispered, Link nodded and started for the tent, Epona walking nonchalantly beside them.

Malon grimaced softly as they neared the tent, a disgusting scent was emanating from it, a mixture of fresh iron and an unknown scent, almost like burning flesh. She stopped and put a hand to her mouth.

Link noticed she wasn't beside him just before he reached the tent entrance, he looked over his shoulder and, when he saw her holding a hand over her mouth, jogged back over to her side, a look of worry on his face.

_Malon? Are you ok?_ He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder and peering into her eyes.

"I feel sick, I think it's that scent." She groaned softly, Link tightened his grip on her shoulder.

_Would you rather stay out here? I can look for info on my own._ He suggested, looking back toward the tent.

"Oh, no. I-I think I'm alright now." She stammered, pulling out of his grip and walking toward the tent again.

They entered the tent, Epona staying behind, and Malon gave another pained groan, the scent was even worse inside.

It was dark, with ratty fabric walls that you could practically see through. Link noticed two dragon-shaped incense holders on the floor, evidently, that was where the scent was coming from.

Link and Malon jumped, startling each other as a different voice spoke.

"Oh, look sister, it seems Naboru didn't find the intruders." The voice said, it was a worn voice, cracking with age. If Link squinted, he could faintly make out two small, hunched human shapes in front of him and Malon.

Two old women were seated on a stack of what he could only guess were carpets.

"Yes, because they've found us." Another crackling voice responded. Malon moved closer to Link as the two old women started to laugh hysterically.

_It's ok Malon. I'm here. _Link said to her soothingly, reaching down and taking her hand in his.

"Oh my, now I understand!" The first voice cackled.

"As do I, sister!"

Malon gripped Link's hand, he could feel a faint layer of sweat on her delicate fingertips.

"Now I understand why I sensed three souls, three heartbeats, but only two bodies!"

Malon glanced at Link, completely bewildered, he gave her a similar look in return.

"And do you two know why that is?" The two voices asked in excitedly.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Malon asked, gripping Link's hand even tighter.

"Well, dearie, it does have something to do with you."

Link and Malon shifted around, both getting a bad feeling about the two old women. Link could feel Malon's heartbeat through her fingers, fast and hard. He hoped that she wasn't feeling sick again.

"So, who gets the honors? Should I tell them? Or do you want to?"

"Hmm…I think you should tell them, Kotake dear, you do have such a way with words."

"How about we both tell them!" The one they assumed was named Kotake proclaimed.

There was a flash of motion, and both old women were standing mere feet from them, they were in fact quite short, their heads only reached Link's knee. They glared at him with knowing looks in their shining crimson eyes. They both pointed wrinkly green fingers at Malon.

"She's pregnant! That's why we could feel three heartbeats and three souls, but only two bodies! Because on of the souls' rests inside of that one!" They exclaimed, dancing around the room in a bizarre manner.

"What?" Malon demanded almost inaudibly, Link glanced over at her, her complexion was even paler than it had been earlier, and beads of sweat were dripping off of her brow. But her eyes were what pained Link, they were wide with shock, and a mixture of alarm and fear and shame filled her beautiful blue irises.

_They can't be serious Mal! They're just trying to play with our heads! Make us weak!_ He insisted, not believing his own words. In truth, it made sense, the way she seemed almost fragile, her illness, her increased nerves, it put all the puzzle pieces together and they were stuck with a completed picture that was a little less than welcome.

"Well, this was fun, but alas, back to business! NABORU! GUARDS! WE FOUND THE INTRUDERS!" They screeched, Link grabbed Malon by the wrist and drug her out of the tent, Epona reared up as a group of Gerudo soldiers descended upon her, grabbing at her coat and trying in vain to tie ropes around her neck. Link knocked a few of the soldiers away and, taking Malon by the waist, swung onto the mare's back.

Epona whinnied and surged forward as soon as they were on her back, skidding around the sharp bend in the path and heading for the gates. She squealed and Malon screamed as a large dun horse collided with Epona. The mare fumbled with her footing for a few moments before being steady on her feet again. Looking up from Epona's mane, Link could see that the horse was none other than Jack's, and Jack was still seated upon it.

"Jack? You idiot! You nearly killed us!" Malon snarled hoarsely, glaring at him. He smirked at her.

"It was boring over there, so I thought I'd come and see if there was any treasure around here, and look what I find, a gem and a dung heap." He snorted in reply, his stallion shifted beneath him, hooves beating on the dusty ground.

Both horses jumped and bolted forward a few feet as an ear-shattering crash echoed through the valley, Link cursed inwardly as he glanced toward the Gerudo gates. They had just been closed.

"Jack! You just got us stuck in here you idiot!" Malon yelled, bristling in Link's arms.

"Oh, don't get your revealing knickers in bunch, Mally! There's another gate."

Jack kicked his stallion forward and galloped into the fortress. Epona followed closely behind. As they followed Jack, Link's mind wandered for a moment. Pregnant. Was Malon really pregnant? If so, what were they supposed to do? They weren't married yet.

They could see the gates ahead of them, they were tall and made of thick metal, the bottom end was comprised of very sharp, very wicked looking points. Something they would probably do best to avoid.

"Hey! The intruders are headed for the gates into the forbidden desert! Close the gates!" A soldier cried as the two horses sped toward the gates.

There was a resounding smash, and the gates slammed shut.

Epona and the stallion sprinted into the piercing yellow dunes beyond, free of the Gerudos' wrath.

One Gerudo warrior approached Naboru, who was watching the horses disappear beyond.

"Should we go after them, Mistress Naboru?" She asked. Naboru shook her head.

"No, they're as good as dead in there anyway…"

* * *

**K'ger: Welp, there you go, one bombshell served well-done. So, Malon's pregnant and everyone's headed into the forbidden desert huh? Well, you're gonna have to wait for Wednesday for the next chapter, and I wish you all a good weekend! And still no details about Romani?! I'm terrible!**

**Also, faithful readers, there's a very important poll on my profile page, and I need you all to vote, vote, vote!**

**Finally, another character song!**

**Malon:**

**Love runs out by OneRepublic.**


	27. A hero gets sand in his boots

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, if I did, I would trap Keapora Geabora in a bottle like the Deku Princess.

**K'ger: Hi readers, so, first of all, there really isn't a lot of action in this chapter, but i had to let things settle down before it gets really crazy, and also there's an important message at the bottom of this chapter.**

**Niki Bogwater - your question will be answered partly in this chapter, and if you don't find it satisfactory, PM me and i'll explain.**

**Ocharlos (sorry if i didn't spell your name right, in a hurry!) Your questions will be answered in chapter 28 and 29.**

* * *

A hero gets sand in his boots

* * *

It was hot. Epona hung her head low as she slogged through the endless yellow dunes. Link leaned over Malon's delicate frame, sheltering her from the worst of the sun's harsh rays.

Jack glanced over at Link and Malon, who were seated atop the enormous red horse. He watched as Malon shifted uncomfortably in the arms of her fiancé. She looked almost as if she didn't welcome his touch.

That's weird, they were so lovey-dovey before they went into that fortress, wonder what happened in there? He thought, a realization hit him, and he started to dig around in his stallion's saddlebags as they continued riding through the desert.

"Hey, Blondie," he shouted. "Catch!"

Epona stopped at his sudden outburst, and Link was pelted in the face by a wad of cloth.

"There you go, Blondie, you're lucky I hung onto to those, or you'd be red as a lobster in a few hours." Jack snorted, smirking at Link's angered expression.

Link unscrambled his shirt and, instead of putting it on, draped it over the back of Malon's head, allowing it to fall loose around her shoulders and shield her from most of the burning sun. He then removed the tight purple swath of fabric around his chest and replaced it with his plain leather vest, relieved to be free of the embarrassing clothing.

"So, I can't help but notice that you guys have been a little…stiff…since you went inside that fortress," Jack started nonchalantly. "What happened in there?"

Malon glared at him from under Link's shirt, her eyes darting first to his and then switching to focus sternly on the yellow horizon, taking in the desolate landscape. There were no trees, very few rocks, and the horizon seemed to blend with the sky. The sky wasn't even blue, it was a hazy, depressing gray that blended into the bright yellow dunes.

"Absolutely nothing happened." She said, her voice cold and unyielding. Jack rolled his eyes and gave in, she apparently wasn't going to answer, and he knew women well enough to know when to shut up.

They rode for the rest of the day, not even sure of where they were heading, or what they were going to do when they got there, but Link and Malon insisted on moving, because if they kept moving, it allowed less time to talk.

"Alright! That is _enough!_" Jack shouted out of nowhere as the sun threatened to set. He pulled his stallion to a stop and jumped onto the sandy ground below. He yanked the saddlebags from his horse's back and began unpacking.

"You two may, for some reason unbeknownst to me, see the need to keep moving for an entire day, but I need some off time! We're camping here!" He commanded, unfurling a bedroll on the ground. Link and Malon looked at each other, eyes wide at their companion's sudden flare-up.

Jack gave them an exasperated groan as they eyed his bedroll, and then the sandy ground they were condemned to sleep on.

"Oh. My. Gods. You _seriously_ didn't pack any camp supplies? Ugh, I'm going to die surrounded by the biggest _idiots_ in the kingdom!"

Rummaging around in his horse's saddlebag some more, he threw an armful of blankets at them. Link fumbled with the heap of cloth, trying his best to keep from dropping them.

"Fine, take them. But now you owe me _big time!_ And by the way, am I to suppose you didn't pack any food either?"

Link nodded his answer, helping Malon spread the blankets on the ground and prepare a makeshift "bed" of sorts.

"For the goddesses sake! How can a warrior like you possibly survive when you _forget_ to bring _food_ and _bedding?_ How is it _I'm_ the one who's stuck with you?" Jack snarled, grabbing a bow that had been strapped to his saddle. He slung a quiver full of arrows over his shoulder and strode into the desert, his horse following behind him.

"What're you _doing?_" Malon asked, watching as he strode off into the dunes.

"Hunting. What else would I be doing?"

Malon rolled her eyes as he marched off into the desert and continued to try and make a comfortable place to sleep, feeling a little dumb for not packing anything.

_Do you believe them?_

Malon jumped, seemingly startled by Link's voice. She looked up from the blankets, and her eyes met his.

"What?"

_Do you believe them? The two old women in the fortress, I mean. _Link asked softly, not looking at her as he set about making a campfire with the kindling that he found packed away in Jack's saddlebag.

"Well…I…Er…yes. It makes sense. I just wish it wasn't true." She whispered softly, dropping the corner of the blanket she had been fussing with to stare at her hands as if she had never seen them before. She was obviously avoiding eye contact.

_So, you don't want children then?_ His voice sounded almost hurt by her last words as he turned from her and began to wipe excess sweat from Epona's coat, knowing that if it was left on, she could suffer from chills during the night. It also provided an opportunity to try and keep his mind off of the subject they had just broached.

Malon stayed silent for several minutes, and Link continued to clean Epona long after her coat had been dried.

"Do I look like the kind of person that doesn't want kids? Of course I want kids!" She shouted abruptly, hands balled into tight fists. Link turned from Epona and came up to stand inches from her, a mixture of concern and confusion swirled in his eyes.

_Then what's wrong? You've been tense ever since we left the fortress._

"What's _wrong?_" she asked. "There're two things are _wrong!_ First of all, we're not married yet! For a criminal like you, that must not be a big deal, but for me, it's considered sinful to have children before you're married!"

Link took a step back, her words were like a knife, stabbed forcefully into his chest.

_Malon, you know, I wasn't always a criminal. My family was actually quite privileged, I ran away because my father was dead-set on me staying within the estate walls. Do you know Lord Escorlan? He's my father._ He answered softly, this was the first time he had ever even eluded to his past, it felt strange. Malon looked at him, her eyes were almost morose.

"Really? You mean you're an 'Honorable'?" She asked.

_Yeah, I guess._

"I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before. You want to know why I'm so nervous about having a baby? It's because of my mother," she whispered, stepping closer to Link. "I was born during a war, Link. My mother died only a month after having me, she was killed, murdered, slaughtered where she stood."

Link reached forward and caressed her cheek, he tried his best to give her a sympathetic look. She leaned into his touch.

"I don't remember my own mother. I don't remember what she looked like, what her voice sounded like, and now we're having a child in the same situation? It's bad enough that we could lose each other, but now we're endangering the life of an innocent child? It's just not responsible!" She murmured, eyes downcast.

Link pulled Malon into a tight, affectionate hug, sighing softly as he felt her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He carefully formulated what he was going to say in his mind before he spoke.

_We can't change what's already set in stone, Mal. And we certainly can't change the fact that we're going through all of this during a war, but I promise, I'll protect you, both of you._ He cupped her chin in his hand and tipped her head up, kissing her softly.

"Hey! Love birds! You might want to come and see this!" Jack yelled across the dunes, jerking them from their moment. Link and Malon rolled their eyes at their forced travel companion and Link, taking a careful hold of Malon's waist, hefted them both onto Epona's back.

_What do you think he wants now?_

"I have no idea."

Link steered Epona over to Jack, a large antelope was slung, dead, over his stallion's hindquarters, and arrow protruding from it's left shoulder. Bright red trails of blood were dripping from its otherwise white coat.

Jack pointed just over the crest of the dune he and his stallion were standing on and Epona whinnied softly as Link pulled her to an abrupt stop. Just over the crest of the hill was a twenty-foot wide river of rushing sink-sand.

"Oh, great." Malon muttered, looking down at the ground near Epona's hooves. The river of sand stretched farther than they could see in either direction, and the sound was almost deafening as sand clashed against sand.

"Welp, I dunno about you two, but I'm gonna go skin this thing and have dinner, if you want any, you'd better help me cook it, or you're not getting any!" Jack snarled, taking his horse by the reins and leading him back toward the camp…

* * *

Link was awake late into the night, observing through partially closed eyelids as the moon crept higher and higher into the black velvet sky. He couldn't sleep. He rolled over under the thin blanket and watched Malon's side rise and fall rhythmically in her sleep. Her back was to him, so he felt comfortable with gazing at her for a moment, hoping that it might help him feel more at ease.

It didn't. In fact, it only worsened his insomnia. His mind began to muddle through the events of the past day, Malon, his fiancé, his love, was pregnant. He was going to be a father. He had little to no experience with kids, though, and he definitely couldn't use his own father as a role model. In other words, he was clueless.

_Father, I wonder where he is right now. Probably still trying to catch me. _He thought ruefully, eyes still focused on Malon. He snapped back to attention when he heard a faint sound, like breath hitching inside someone's throat, he looked forward, it had been Malon.

Her breath caught again, and he watched as her shoulder's convulsed under the blanket. He reached forward and tentatively touched her back, she twitched as his hand moved up to her bare neck, her skin was freezing cold. He had to admit, for a desert that could be so hot during the daylight hours, it was frigid at night.

_Malon, you're freezing!_ He said, pushing onto his hand and knees to loom over her. She shivered and rolled onto her back, starting when she saw he was above her.

"L-Link? What're you d-doing?" She whispered, taking a hold of her own shoulders in an attempt to conserve body heat.

Link stood up, groaning silently as his bare feet hit the sand, it felt like standing in very fine, flaky ice. He hopped over to Epona, who was lying near Jack's stallion.

_Epona, Malon's freezing cold, I need your help. _He said to the mare, she groggily opened her dark brown eyes and, after a moment, dragged herself to her hooves. She followed Link over to where Malon was now sitting up on the blankets. He pulled the top cover away from Malon for a moment, and pointed behind her.

Epona carefully stepped onto the blanket and, making sure to gauge the distance, laid down behind Malon, curling her neck to make a half-circle. Link gently took Malon by the shoulders and scooted her back to lean against Epona, smiling as she sighed, enjoying the heat that was wafting off of the large mare.

He sat down beside her and pulled her tightly against him, tucking the blanket around her so that their body heat wouldn't escape. Malon came to rest her head on his shoulder, clutching his hand in her's, her breath was warm against his neck.

_Better? _He asked, eyes closed. He suddenly felt very tired, like he had suddenly hit a brick wall.

"Much better. Thank you." She sighed, burying herself under the blankets. She was asleep again in minutes.

_Note to self: when suffering from insomnia, hug Malon._ He thought before drifting asleep alongside her…

* * *

"Well? Now what?" Malon asked, staring down the immense sink-sand river. It rumbled on, moving at a swift pace. Jack rode up beside them on his stallion, glaring at the river. She shifted in Link's arms, mind racing to figure out a way to cross the river.

The stallion whipped around suddenly, his master biding him to canter about twenty yards from the river, before stopping him, and turning back toward his two travel companions.

"Jack, what are you thinking?" Malon asked, a hint of concern in the tone of her voice.

"Oh, don't worry sweetheart, I've done this before, you could call me a professional at this kind of thing!" He shouted, a wild grin on his face and he rammed his heels into his stallion's sides. The stallion reared up, and jumped forward, running at a frantic sprint toward the sink-sand river.

"Jack, you idiot! You're going to kill yourself!" Malon shouted, whirling around in Link's grip to watch, wide-eyed in utter disbelief, as the stallion galloped to the very edge of the river, and pushed off, flying into the air and landing on the other side, completely unscathed. He trotted a few feet before turning to face them again. Jack gave them a smug grin, eyes narrow in an, "I told you so," sort of attitude.

"Ha! Told you I could do it!" He snorted matter-of-factly.

Link pulled on Epona's mane, steering her twenty-yards away from the river just like Jack had done.

_Link, I'm not doing that._ She neighed, moving her hooves around on the hot sand nervously. Link leaned around Malon to look Epona in the eyes.

_Oh come one, Epona. You're not going to let a skinny stallion like that show you up, are you?_ He teased, knowing he had hit a point Epona couldn't stand. He knew that the mare couldn't back down from a challenge.

The mare turned to face the sand river, her ears pinned back in determination. She pawed at the sand a few times, psyching herself up before surging into a wild sprint. Malon gave a small cry of displeasure and grabbed at Epona's white mane, closing her eyes and hugging the mare's neck.

Epona soared into the air, and Link gripped Malon tightly as they flew over the sand river.

"I hate this!" Malon screamed. Landing on the other side, Epona whinnied as her hooves met solid ground and she trotted forward, shaking her mane as if shaking a bug.

"I hated that, I hated that, I hated that!" Malon hissed, opening her eyes and panting heavily, she held a hand to her chest, as if trying to slow her rapid heartbeat.

_Um…maybe a little help over here?_ Link asked from somewhere behind Malon. She craned her neck around and realized with a start that Link was not seated behind her on Epona. Looking a little further, she screamed when she saw that Link waist deep in the sink-sand. He had apparently fallen off mid-jump.

"Jack! Don't just stand there! Help me!" She commanded, vaulting from Epona's back and sprinting over to Link, she grabbed his hand and pulled. She made no progress, and she dug her feet into the dry sand, desperately trying to anchor him, stop him from sinking any deeper.

She yelped as Link suddenly sank a little deeper, and pulled her closer to the sink sand.

_Malon, let go. I can get out on my own. _He told her, releasing his grip on her wrist.

"No! If I let go, you'll sink all the way!" She responded fretfully, yanking harder.

_Malon, you'll hurt yourself. Let go, I can handle this._

But Malon was persistent, and refused to let go as the sink-sand inched up toward Link's chest.

"Alright, fine. Apparently we aren't going to get any where unless I save your sorry rear." Jack snarled finally, dismounting his stallion and striding toward the two of them, his leather cloak swishing around his ankles as he stomped across the sand.

Despite the fact that he was sinking to his doom, Link still managed to snarl at Jack as he grabbed Malon by the waist and pulled. _I'm going to kill you if I get out of here._ He thought angrily, blue eyes glaring at Jack's hands. With a sudden yank, he was pulled from the sink-sand, and was sent toppling on top of them both.

_Thanks. _He sighed, rolling off of them and pulling himself to his feet. Malon then promptly tackled him to the ground again.

"You are going to give me a heart attack one of these days!" She hissed in his ear, burying her face in the nape of his neck.

_Well, at least I'm not boring, then._ He retorted playfully, hugging her tightly to his chest. He could hear Jack groan.

"Goddesses, I think I'm going to _die_ of a sugar over-dose! How is it possible for one couple to be so…mushy!" He said, snarling. He pulled himself effortlessly onto his stallion's back and reached into his saddlebag, pulling out a silver flask. He took a few drinks from it before stowing it away again.

"What was that?" Malon asked as she and Link stood up from the sand and made their way for Epona, who knelt down slightly for easier access. Jack chuckled softly.

"Miracle water. It can make even the most idiotic companions seem normal." He answered, turning his stallion and kicking him forward into the desert.

"Miracle water? What kind of water is that?"

"Whisky."

Malon rolled her eyes, he was drinking in a desert.

"And what do we do if he gets drunk?" She asked Link in a whisper. He tightened his arms about her shoulders.

_Let him go wherever he wants, as long as it isn't the direction we're heading in…_

* * *

"Link? What is that?" Malon asked, pointing toward the horizon as they rode. He shielded his eyes with a hand squinted at the square shape they were nearing.

_I have no idea._ He answered plainly, kicking Epona into a trot. Dark, harsh, sandy winds swirled around them, making it hard to see anything. Malon covered her nose with her hands, not liking the scent of the air.

Link had tried to shield Malon from the harsh winds, but it had been no use, they didn't seem to come from any one direction, it was almost like being inside a mild tornado, as the wind spun through the desert, carrying thick swatches of sand and pelting them with it like hail.

The only one who didn't seem to mind the sandstorm was Jack, most likely because of the thick leather hood that he had thrust over his head, concealing his face and protecting him from the painful sand.

The square shape became clearer as they approached, the shape turned out to be a very tall stone placard. It loomed over their heads even whilst they were on their horses, and a strange, cryptic writing was strewn across the marbled stone surface. It wasn't written in anything Link or Malon could read.

"**Sperare, ducam te per spiritum. Deviantes peribit.**" Jack said behind them in a strange accent. They both craned around to stare at him, confusion swirling in their eyes as he smirked back at them.

"What did you say?" Malon shouted over the deafening wind.

"**Sperare, ducam te per spiritum. Deviantes peribit.** It's the old language of the Gerudo, before they took up Hylian, 'Abandon hope, the ghost will lead you. Those who deviate will perish.' Is what it means."

Link and Malon gave him dumbfounded looks, and then exchanged a nervous glance. Since when did a Hylian know an old Gerudo tongue? They both stared at Jack, starting to get the feeling they didn't know as much about him as they thought.

"Oh stop with the nervous looks, I'm not one of them, but my family is of Gerudo decent, actually, most of my village is related to the Gerudo. That's why they taught me how to read and speak Old Gerudo, so that I'm connected to my heritage." He explained, not quelling any of their worries. Epona and the stallion reared up suddenly, however, and jolted their riders' from the tense moment.

A large, glowing purple "something" flew between the two horses, and rose up to float above the stone placard. Upon closer inspection, Link could see that it was a Poe. Swirling purple fabric concealed all but a single glowing red eye, and it swung an ornate lantern around as it cackled.

"Are you travelers?" It asked, floating down from the placard to look at them more closely, as if inspecting food, deciding whether or not it was worth it.

"Um…yes." Malon answered shakily, leaning against Link for support. He could feel her relax slightly as he tightened his grip.

"Ah, then you seek the Desert Colossus."

Jack steadied his horse as the stallion pranced a few feet, working the bit with a nervous mouth.

"The Desert Colossus? I don't know what that is, but if there's water, I'm there." He answered the Poe, his horse still fidgeting underneath him.

"I do believe there is an oasis near to the Colossus."

"What do you think?" Malon asked Link softly, tipping her head back to catch a glance of his jawline, she watched as he swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbing slightly.

I don't think we have a choice, and you need shelter. He responded, eyes sharply focused on the Poe.

Malon nodded, returning her attention to the Poe as well.

"Fine, take us to the Colossus."

These words sent the Poe into a hysterical fit of laughter.

"Yes! I haven't had any victim-I mean _tourists_ in years! But you'd better follow close, or the Leevers will enjoy a good meal of you!" It hooted, flying over the placard and bouncing into the storm. Jack and Link kicked their horses forward, instructing them to follow the Poe.

Malon shifted around in Link's grip, turning so that she could rest her head against his shoulder and shield her eyes from the pelting sand as they rode after the cackling Poe, trotting into an unknown desert. Practically blind as they headed for a place they didn't know, and their only sense of direction coming from the Poe's screeching cry…

* * *

**K'ger: Well, I found that chapter a little more boring than the others, but I had to focus more on the emotions that Link and Malon would be going through.**

**The old Gerudo language was actually Latin.**

**Also, I have to address a problem: **

**Recently, I got some very nasty guest reviews, (better known as flames) saying that I was a bad writer, that emotions were handled poorly, and that I never use a Semi-colon. (Luckily, I moderate guest reviews, and i do so for that exact reason.)**

**So, whoever you are, you can knock it off now. It's not going to stop me from writing.**

**Otherwise, you know the drill, read and review.**

***Sighs, still angry about the reviewer.***


	28. A hero is the main course

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would give Keapora Geabora E-coli. (Thanks Twiliwolf13!)

**K'ger: OK, I am SOOOO sorry about not updating on time. I was suffering from major writer's block.**

**But here it is, and I hope this chapter did a little better than the last, because last chapter was NOT my best work. A gigantic, humongous shout out to Link'sLily, who helped with every inch of this chapter!**

**And also, a warning. There's a lot of blood in this chapter, so be warned. **

* * *

A hero is the main course

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"Link, I don't like this." Malon whispered softly, keeping her face protected by burying it in the crook of his neck as they rode after the Poe's bobbing purple shape. Jack was riding beside them, his stallion tossing its head as the thick sand shifted beneath his hooves. Link could see through the corner of his eye that Jack was still taking hearty swigs from the sliver flask that he kept hidden in his saddlebags.

The Poe continued to cackle as it flitted this way for a moment, and then seemed to decide a different direction was more interesting and would go that way for a while, making it a challenge to follow. Its lantern bounced joyfully in a wrinkly, decomposing hand, shedding an eerie yellowish light in the dark, foreboding sandstorm. Malon leaned harder against Link, and listened to the soothing, albeit swift beat of his heart. The only relaxing sound she could hear.

_I know you don't, but we can't just flounder around in this sandstorm._ He answered, subconsciously tightening his grip on Epona's mane, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. He could feel Epona's thick muscles stiffen beneath him, the mare obviously sensed something nearby. He reached around Malon and ran a hand over Epona's mane, trying to sooth the horse's nerves as she trotted after the hooting Poe.

_Link, I feel something._ The mare neighed softly, shaking her mane against the harsh winds. Link readjusted his seat and glanced about the surrounding desert, squinting as granules of sand burned his exposed skin, he gasped as a few pieces sand made it up his nose as he moved his other hand away from his mouth and nose to shield his eyes. He quickly replaced it, deciding that it was better to be able to breath and not see, than see and not breath.

_I can't see anything, Epona. Where?_ He asked, pulling Epona to the left suddenly as the Poe made a wild leap in that direction. Epona tossed her head, her breath raspy as she tried to keep the sand from her lungs. She whinnied, almost a frustrated tone to her voice as she swung her head from side to side.

_I can't tell, I just feel it…somewhere._

They rode for the next fifteen minutes in silence, the Poe making the only sounds, cackling to itself as if it had heard a humorous joke. Link gritted his teeth as the sandstorm seemed to grow harsher, and the sand felt like hundreds of tiny knives ripping across his exposed skin. Jack made a sudden gasp, causing Link and Malon to turn their heads and squint at him.

He pointed at the Poe, glancing frantically between them and the bobbing purple shape.

"What?" Malon asked tiredly, glaring at the Poe. Jack pointed at it again.

"There's two of 'em!" He said, his voice tight with sudden concern. Malon shook her head with a sigh and returned it to where she had been resting it previous to his outburst.

"No, there's not. There is only one Poe, you're drunk." She answered, her voice muffled by Link's shoulder. He shifted, trying to get a better look at the Poe, which was a good ways ahead of them now. Occasionally, he could see a flash of different color, maybe some blue, or a hint of red, but that was all, there was definitely only one Poe.

But as they continued into the sandstorm, Link could feel the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand on end, and he could feel Epona tense, but Malon was oblivious, on the verge of sleep as Epona's movements rocked her and Link back and forth. He could feel her snuggle further against him as he and Jack stopped their horses. The Poe had stopped twenty feet ahead of them, and turned to stare at them, glowing red eyes piercing the dark sand.

"Hey, Poe-boy, you didn't get us out of this sandstorm, why are we stopped?" Jack called, Link could still hear that his voice was tight, like he trying to push his fears deep down, somewhere he couldn't feel it, couldn't hear the terrified thoughts that were swirling. Link could feel his own heartbeat quicken as a strange sound echoed over the rushing wind. It was like a hundred cackling laughs, sung by voices long out of use.

He struggled to keep a hold of Epona as she threatened suddenly to rear up, kicking her back legs out in a sudden terrified stupor, his motion startling Malon and causing both of the to nearly slip from the mare's back. Close to a hundred multi-colored lights began to appear, popping up in a rough circle around them as the cackling laughter grew louder and louder, to point of making their ears ache.

"What's goin' on here? You said you'd take us to the Desert Colossus, and I don't see no building." Jack growled, reining his stallion in as it tried to charge the Poe, chomping at the bit and striking out with its front hooves. The Poe hooted at Jack's confused expression, and Epona stumbled a few feet as another Poe appeared, then another, and another, until they were completely surrounded by Poes.

"I told you so!" Jack snorted, crossing his arms across his chest matter-of-factly. Link rolled his eyes and Malon gave a small, stifled cry, clinging to his shoulders as the Poes licked their dry, cracking lips. _Goddess have mercy._

"You didn't see this coming?" The only purple Poe, the one that had led them there, asked in a screeching voice, bouncing around the circle and staring longingly in their direction. The two horses shifted nervously under the hundred piercing stares, hooves sending small puffs of sand into the harsh wind.

"See what coming? Why are we here?"

One of the Poes, a yellow one, suddenly dug a hand into the sandy ground and pulled out a small, squirming creature, a rat upon closer inspection. Its coat was a silver-gray, with white ticking, and it squeaked loudly as it was held up above the Poe's head. Link could feel Malon go ridged and pulled her gaze away seconds before the Poe let go of the rat's tail and let it drop, whole, into its mouth, swallowing with a satisfied sigh.

"We've had our appetizers," the purple Poe laughed, the hundred others' joining with joyous excitement, "And now you're the main course."

Malon gripped Link so tightly it hurt as the Poes slowly floated toward, their mouths' open in anticipation. The harsh, sandstorm winds' seemed to lessen, and the skin-burning granules of sand became nothing more than an annoying touch now and then. Soon, the Poes had split up, and created two smaller circles around the horses, the yellow one that had devoured the rat whole rose up so that it was face-to-face with Jack.

Epona squealed as one of the Poes' licked her calf, she struck out with a back hoof, sending the Poe spinning away with a hysterical scream. The other Poes' glared at them, wringing their decomposing hands, ready to start their feast. Epona pinned her ears, baring her teeth, ready to snap at any Poe that dared to come within her reach.

"Oooh…you look so tasty…" The yellow Poe hissed, coming closer to Jack's face. He pulled an arm up to cross harder against his chest, both hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles going white. Link and Malon both jerked their heads in his direction as an agonized screech came from his direction. They expected to see the Poe, attacking Jack, perhaps he was already dead, judging by the scream he had given. They expected a bloodbath.

But that was not what met their eyes, instead, Jack was grinning deviously at the Poe, shoving a knife deeper into the Poe's stomach, strange, purple-black blood dripped down the blade and onto Jack's hands and his stallion's withers. The Poe whimpered as the knife dug into it's gut, with a brutal twist, Jack spun his wrist around, deepening the wound further and flicking the Poe away. It hit the sand with a moan, blood staining the sand.

"You thought I was helpless, didn't you?" Jack snarled to the group Poes, his teeth flashing like a wolf that had just made its first kill in a month. "Now, unless you all want to end up like your poor comrade there, I suggest you back off."

The Poes' began to shift nervously, muttering to one another, discussing the options with frightened voices. Link and Malon stared, wide-eyed at Jack, he was more dangerous than they had originally thought. Jack wiped the blood off of the knife's blade with his fingertips, not caring as the blood stained his hands black. There was a small chinking noise, and the knife was returned to a scabbard concealed in the wrist of his glove.

"Enough!" the purple Poe screamed, swiftly flying over to float in the two horses' paths. "They are our pray! We must eat them, when shall we get another such opportunity? Three human souls ripe for the picking! We must feast while we have the chance!"

_Four._ Malon corrected in her mind as Epona took a few steps forward. Both horses squealed and staggered back as the dying yellow Poe let loose an earsplitting howl of pain and indignation, rising up to float again.

"You," it moaned, eyes glowing dimly as blood still dripped from the gaping wound. "You won't win. My masters' the Twinrova will revive me, and then you shall _all_ die!"

The Poe then zoomed off into the lessening sandstorm, leaving behind a trail of purplish blood in its wake. The other Poes' seemed dumbstruck, as if the mere mention of that name sent shivers down their nonexistent spines. After a moment of nervous muttering, the Poes' scattered, leaving only the purple one to stand defiantly in their path.

"Fine! Then I shall devour them myself!" The Poe roared, actually growing in size by a couple of inches. Epona moved over a couple of feet to stand beside Jack and his stallion, Link looked over and noticed that the Biggorons Sword was strapped to the stallion's saddlebags. Jack had taken his sword when he had left it at the other side of the Gerudo Valley. He reached over and grabbed the dragon-shaped hilt, yanking the sword from its scabbard.

The stallion, startled by something touching it, leapt forward and charged the Poe, mistakenly thinking that the Poe had something to do with it. The Poe dodged at the last second and instead attacked Link, not realizing that he held the sword behind his own back. There was soft squishing noise, and the Biggorons Sword sunk deep into the Poe, the Poe fought for only a moment, before going limp, dead on the sword.

He could hear Malon give a disgusted whine, and quickly flicked his sword to the side, removing the Poe from the blade. Finally getting his stallion under control, Jack nodded to Link in approval of his kill.

"Not bad, Blondie." He called, approaching the dead Poe. Seconds later, the Poe's body disintegrated, ashes melding with the sand as it blew around in the wind. But that too, would not last for long, and they all looked around in shocked disbelief as the sandstorm suddenly died out, covering them all in a thick layer of dusty sand. The harsh sun immediately barraged them, but they could see where they were going now, which was a relief.

On the sand, they could see a thick trail of purple-black blood leading around a tall cliff. The Poe had gone in that direction.

"The Poe went that way." Jack said, kicking his stallion into a reserved-but-urgent canter. Epona shook herself of the sand and followed, not about to be outdone by the stallion. They rounded the cliff wall and stopped short. In front of them, the sun glinting off of the gold-coated walls was a massive temple. It towered over the desolate landscape, with two gigantic double doors that were encrusted with rubies and emeralds and sapphires. A gigantic statue sat between the two sets of doors, a woman sitting cross-legged with hands put together in prayer.

But what caught the travelers' attention was not the temple, but what stood a few feet away. It was an oasis, with several leafy palm trees casting long, welcoming shadows, they could practically taste the water as they stumbled greedily toward it, all kneeling and scooping up great handfuls of the cool liquid and drinking their fills.

Epona and the stallion made their way for the shade, immediately taking shelter in the relieving shadows. Link, Malon and Jack were about to do the same when a shrill scream came from within the temple, it sounded like it had come from a young girl, and as Link held Malon's hand, it could feel her muscles tighten at the sound.

"Link! That was Romani!" She hissed, eyes widening as she jerked around to stare at the temple. Jack looked at them both with a confused expression.

"Who?" He asked, jumping the rest of the way to stand in the shade beside his stallion.

"Romani, my niece."

_Are you sure that was her?_ Link asked, a selfish side of his mind willing it not to be so he could rest. She nodded softly, her red hair sticking to her forehead due to the thick layer of sweat that covered her body.

"I'm sure, I know her voice." Malon responded, gripping his hand tighter. _Damn it, so much for any rest._

He gingerly let go of Malon's hand and approached the temple, she grabbed him before he could make it more than ten feet.

"If you're going in there, I am too." She whispered, clinging to his arm. He gently pulled away and turned, taking a hold of her shoulders.

No, I know what happens inside a temple like that, you need to stay out here, so that you're safe. He persuaded, kissing her before letting go and turning to walk back toward the temple, grabbing the Biggorons Sword off of the ground where he had dropped it in the frenzy for water. Making to the top of a small set of stairs, he touched the golden door, it swung open with a loud creaking noise.

"Jack! Go help him." Malon commanded, sitting down next to Epona in the shade. Jack covered his mouth in a yawn, using the other arm as a head-rest.

"Nah, I don't think so."

"You will go and help him or I swear to the Goddesses above that I will castrate you with a wooden spoon!"

Jack looked at her, shocked, before standing up and striding grumpily after Link, muttering something about 'redheads' and 'women'. He followed Link into the temple, his footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

The first room of the temple was a small, foyer, with sandy tile flooring and a narrow staircase leading to a higher level. A statue depicting the head of a cobra snake with its hood flared out and ruby eyes stood to either side of the stairs. But Link didn't pay any attention to the way the light filtered through the stained glass windows, making the sand glitter like diamonds, or the soft shifting sounds his feet made on the ground.

Lying on the stones at the top of the stairs was a small, red-haired girl in a simple white dress. She was sprawled across floor, unconscious. Romani. Link bolted toward the stairs, intent on grabbing the girl and fleeing as fast as he could, but to his luck, there was a flash of motion, and hunched, old women flew past him by means unknown and bizarre. His stomach plummeted as he realized that the old women were the two old women from the Gerudo Fortress.

"Ha ha, you didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" One of them cackled, readjusting her seat on a broomstick. The other old woman grabbed Romani from the floor and zoomed further into the temple, stealing the girl away from him. Link growled silently and rushed after the witches, Jack sighed, hit his forehead with a palm, and strode after his I'm-the-hero-I-don't-need-help companion and still struggling to figure out where the little girl fit in all of this…

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**K'ger: Woo, still really sorry about not updating. but there you go, and uh-oh, I left it at a cliffhanger. but hopefully I've beaten the writer's block monster, so hopefully the next chapter will be up in a timely manner.**


	29. A hero gets confused

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would sneak up and scare Keapora Geabora while he's sleeping and make him fall out of his tree.

**K'ger: Welp, I really don't have a lot to say about this chapter, except for the fact that this chapter is kinda dark, talks about some inappropriate things, and has some blood to it. Beware.**

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A hero gets confused

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Malon sighed and leaned back, resting her head on Epona's withers, watching as the sun slowly began to set, to disappear beyond the sandy horizon in a blaze of reds, oranges, purples and blues. She settled herself in the crook between the mare's front leg and side, and absentmindedly rested a hand on her stomach, her mind still refused to totally believe that she was pregnant. Sure, if she thought about it, it made sense, but it was all so surreal.

A few months ago, she'd been nothing but a farm girl, dreaming of how her knight in shining armor would come along a sweep her off her feet, not believing that love would ever actually come her way. And then Epona had shown up after months of being missing, a dirty, thin, wounded man slung over her back. She didn't regret anything, although she wasn't sure how she was going to explain any of this to her father, and this definitely wasn't the way she had pictured her "perfect romance".

Hell, she'd never seen _this_ coming, pregnant, lying in a desert, and waiting for her fiancé to save her niece from the Gerudo, people she had a particular distaste for. She rubbed a hand across her stomach, wondering what it looked like. _It can't be very old, I remember when we…well…I remember the night in question._ She could feel a large knot of fear resting in the pit of her stomach, she was afraid for Link, she was afraid for Romani, and now she was afraid for the baby.

Malon began to hum a tune, soft and slow and so familiar to her that it soothed her nerves, Epona whickered softly, remembering the song as her own. Malon's father had taught her the song when she was a little girl, he said that her mother had composed the song specifically as a lullaby for their child while she herself had been pregnant. She had later used the song when Epona had been born, for the filly had been born extremely weak, and Malon, stubborn as she was, refused the let her go down without a fight, and had kept her awake throughout the night.

"_Malon._" A strange, almost ethereal voice called, she jolted upright, looking around for where the voice had come from.

"Hello?" She called, looking around the desert landscape. A desert hare, with enormous back feet digging into the sand, was bolting toward her, moving so quickly she could barely make out any details, but what she could see didn't make her feel safe at all. A dark, bloody wound stretched from neck to tail on it's left side, leaving a trail of blood as it ran. Malon jumped to her feet, startling Epona and Jack's stallion.

"_Malon, you have to run!_" The voice called again, more urgently.

The hare sped past her, leaping over the dunes as if being pursued. Malon screamed the sand beneath her feet shifted against her will and her feet sunk beneath her, Epona whinnied in fright and scrambled over to her, reaching out so that Malon could grab a hold as she continued to sink. She gripped Epona's mane, eyes wide as she sunk even lower.

With a sudden ferocity, the ground beneath her opened up completely, and she lost her grip on Epona's mane, falling into the darkness below…

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Link dashed after the witches' cackling voices, thundering down dark, narrow hallways that stank of death. Soon after, he came to a crossroad, three paths were set before him, one straight, one to the left, and one to the right. The path ahead of him went only ten feet before reaching a closed door that resembled the doors he had entered the temple through, leaving only the two paths as options.

Jack came up to stand nearby, and glanced down each path, Link noticed that he was absently wringing his hands, which were still stained black from the Poe's blood. Jack seemed to realize he was being watched and quickly stopped, straightening himself to recreate his normal "aloof" attitude.

"So, Blondie, which way?" He asked, his voice giving a slight quiver, revealing his forced calm. Link shrugged unsurely, truthfully not having any clue as to which way the witches had fled. He took a step forward and was met with a loud cracking sound at his feet, he jumped back to find that had had stepped on a bone, shattering it with his weight. Kneeling down to get a closer look, he could tell that the bone was from a human.

"Don't tell me you're afraid," Jack scoffed, putting his hands on his hips in an assertive manner. "It's just a bone, nothing to worry about there. It's not like you'll end up as a skeleton."

Link looked up from the bone, shocked that Jack was actually trying to reassure him. He stood from his crouch and nodded an approving thanks before starting down the left path. The floor was covered in sand, but ahead he could see that the sand was thinning, and that the floor ahead was a rusty colored tile with embossed pictures of snakes and dragons and lizards and anything else that was scaly and aggressive. The Gerudo obviously had a "thing" for reptiles.

"Nah, you won't end up as a skeleton, you'll just get burned to a crisp anyway, or maybe frozen solid, or maybe you'll fall in a hole, never to be seen again."

Link let his shoulders droop and shook his head as he continued down the hallway, he had been stupid for thinking that Jack would ever be nice about anything. He walked down the path, carefully rounding a bend and entering a widened area. Sunlight glinted through narrow windows near the tops of the dusty walls, illuminating the room with a dry heat. The walls were covered in elaborate hieroglyphics. One picture stood out amongst the rest.

It was of a tall, green-skinned man sitting on a throne in a dark chamber. Two hunched old women were kneeling at his side, one held a spear made of ice, while the other had a bright red flame flickering in her palm. An army of ReDeads and Skulltula and Stalfos gathered behind the trio, eyes depicted as red and soul-less, piercing the otherwise black background.

_Are those the two witches who kidnapped Romani?_ He wondered, putting a hand on the wall, near the foot of the throne. _I know that's Ganondorf, just how old is he, anyway?_

"Legend says that only one male is born every hundred years." Jack said behind him, crossing his arms and leaning against the opposite wall. Link turned and looked at him with a strange look. Jack chuckled softly.

"What? I'm related to the Gerudo, remember? I was taught how to read the old hieroglyphs."

Link turned back to the wall again, gesturing at it with a hand. He could hear Jack scoff behind him, and a minute later, he was standing beside him, looking at the wall with narrowed eyes.

"Like I said, legend tells that once every hundred years, a single male is born to one of the Gerudo, and that male is destined to ascend the throne. It is said that the male is always related to the last king directly, most often being his son, and that when said male is born, it is a signal that the current king will soon die or be slain. However, some kings were said to have actually lengthened their reigns' by taking their own sons' lives and scattering their blood on the stones of the sacred temple." Jack said, his eyes moving over the wall, stopping on key pictures before darting to the next one as if he was reading a book.

Link looked at him, disgust written on his face. The thought of killing an innocent baby would have been disgusting to him even before the events of the past few months, but now, as a father-to-be, the thought made his stomach churn, making him feel slightly nauseous. Jack laughed at his expression.

"Look, the Gerudo are savage people, why do you think my ancestors left? They couldn't stand the beliefs of their own kin, so they escaped, most who tried to leave died in the effort, but those who survived went on to build my home village."

Link turned back to the wall again, staring the pictures, not understanding how anyone could actually read them. He reached out and touched the hieroglyph of a baby, it was lain on the surface of a stone alter, a wicked knife poised above it. Jack rolled his eyes and turned to walk nonchalantly toward the continuing hallway, peaking down to see what was in store. It was too dark, he couldn't see anything at all.

"What's with you Blondie? You've been weird lately, well, weirder than normal," Jack started, standing at the edge of the hallway and looking at Link, who traced the baby's outline with his index finger. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of sand from the floor, and, by wetting his thumb, covered the picture of the knife with sand, blotting it out so that only the baby remained. "And what's with the sudden…sentiment toward babies?"

Link swore he could practically hear the cogs grinding in Jack's mind as he frantically searched for an answer. He was startled, however, by the righteous fit of laughter that followed, and turning, saw that Jack was the cause, holding his sides and doubling over as he guffawed, his voice echoing throughout the room and down the hallways. Slowly collecting himself, he straightened and smiled deviously at Link.

"Oh, you're in big trouble aren't you, Blondie?" He managed to say between gasps. Link merely looked at him, his face unreadable as his forced companion broke into another fit of laughter, this one even stronger than the last.

"Your girlfriend's expecting, isn't she?"

Link gave him an acknowledging nod, shrugging off his laughs as he strode past him and into the hallway, re-entering the dark and wrinkling his nose at the rank stench of death. This passage made several turns, completely throwing off his sense of direction in the faint light. The temperature actually seemed to go down a few degrees as he continued, there weren't any hieroglyphs on the walls, nor were there any windows, making the hall even darker, and causing Link to squint just to see.

Ahead, Link could see a thick iron door blocking all but a few inches of their path, it had been left open just a crack. He could see firelight flicker through the last inches, and stopped as someone began to talk.

"Get away from me, you monster!" A feminine voice cried, he stepped a few feet closer to the door, trying to sneak a peek through the crack. There was a loud smack, followed by a yelp as someone fell to the ground.

"Oh, I wouldn't _dream_ of hurting _you._" A cold male voice said in a sarcastic tone, Link couldn't help but think that the voice sounded familiar. He crept toward the door, and peering inside, could see four figures, three standing between the door and the fourth person. The fourth person was a woman, laying on the sandy ground and glaring up at the other three. She had startling white hair and a soft, caring face, with eyes that shone like rubies. Her dress was simple and black, flaring out around her knees.

Two of the figures' were the Twinrova, cackling as the white-haired woman shrunk back in fear. The other figure was male, tall, with broad shoulders and black hair pulled into a wispy ponytail. Link stiffened when he recognized him, it was Byrne, the one who had stolen the stones from him and Princess Zelda. He was garbed in black from head-to-toe, and he had an iron glove on his right hand, blades jutting out from the fingertips.

"Whoa, pretty woman at twelve o'clock!" Jack breathed, leaning over Link to peer inside as well and noticing the woman. Link jabbed him in the ribs, urging him to be quiet as Byrne approached the woman and hefted her up by the arm. It was then that Link saw a small, rumpled shape lying behind her. Romani.

"We should kill her and get it over with, it's not like she's doing us any good," Byrne growled, bringing his face to be only inches from the woman's, his mouth curling into a devious grin, lips nearly brushing against hers. "Of course, we could have some fun with her before we do."

Link could hear the woman sniffle, she was crying, and he could see the tears drip from her cheeks as the man brought himself even closer to her.

"Byrne, stop. Lord Ganondorf wants her alive." One of the witches said, her voice cracking with age. The other one nodded in agreement as Byrne growled and let go of the woman, letting her fall to the ground, where she stayed, sobbing to herself.

"You may thirst for blood, but you wouldn't want to disobey you master, would you?" One of the witches cackled as Byrne turned to glare, frustrated, at them.

"You may yet be able to quench your thirst for blood, Byrne." A different voice said, another woman sauntered over to him, she was tall, with her red hair pulled into a highly set ponytail and wore a red variation of the traditional Gerudo garb. She patted the man's shoulder as she made it to his side.

"What are you talking about Naboru?" He asked, his voice growling. She chuckled softly before turning her gaze to the iron door. Link could feel every muscle in his body stiffen as their eyes met. She smirked as his eyes widened.

"We have guests."

Link stood up abruptly, his head knocking painfully into Jack's as he turned to bolt, he could hear the iron door open, and seconds later, he was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled back, Byrne growling in his ear. Glancing over, he could see that Jack had been caught as well, Naboru grinned evilly at her him, her pray.

"OOOH! It's the one from before!" The two witches shrieked, dancing about the room crazily as he and Jack were paraded into the room. The white-haired girl looked at him strangely, eyes scanning every inch of his face. Byrne pushed Link forward, sending him tumbling into the sand, and laughing as he fell on top of the girl. Jack landed not too far away.

Link quickly scrambled off of the girl and back to his feet, baring his teeth in a defiant snarl . Byrne only laughed harder and, grabbing him with his left hand, held the bladed fingertips of his right to Link's throat. Link glared into Byrne's soul-less black eyes, his heartbeat quickening as the blades pressed harder against his neck, to the point of making it hard to breath.

"Byrne, you can kill those two later, Lord Ganondorf requests your presence." The Twinrova cackled behind him. But Byrne still held tight to Link's throat, and threatened to jab with the knives at any second.

"Now!" The witches shouted when Byrne still refused to let go. With a frustrated roar, Byrne released Link, pushing him down to the ground as he turned on his heel to stride toward the door. He stopped in the doorway, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"You're free for now, but when I return, I'll bathe the stones in your blood." He hissed cruelly over his shoulder before slamming the iron door shut. Link could hear a clicking sound as they locked the door from the outside. He turned, and took a quick survey of the room. There was no furniture, and only a single narrow window allowed in any natural light, although a torch flickered in one of the corners.

The white-haired girl pulled herself up to kneel beside Romani, and she glared at him and Jack. Link, looking at her carefully, thought she looked quite familiar, although he couldn't place why she was.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at Link with her ruby eyes narrow in suspicion. He readjusted his seat so that he was sitting directly across from her, and boxed Jack's ear when he merely sat there, staring at the girl as a raven did a jewel.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?!" He demanded, rubbing a hand over his ear and squinting angrily at him. Link gestured at his throat, and then at the girl, it took Jack a moment to realize what he was trying to convey.

"Oh, right, you can't talk, can you?" he smirked, glaring at him with an evil glint in his eyes. "I believe this one is called Link, he can't talk, and he's taken. I'm Jack, and unlike Blondie over there, I'm open."

The girl never once looked at Jack, even while he talked, instead, she stared at Link intently, making him feel slightly unnerved. She leaned forward to squint into his eyes, her expression was one Link had never seen before and, feeling strange, he stood up and approached Romani, who was still unconscious. The girl shifted as he walked past her, and seemed almost protective as he scooped her up and took her back to where he had been sitting before.

"Is she…yours?" The woman asked, looking at the little girl with a concerned expression. Link settled back down on the ground and leaned Romani on his hip, examining her for wounds, the only one he could find was a small lump on her forehead, probably the result of a harsh whap to her head, which was most likely what had rendered her unconscious. He looked up and met her ruby eyes, shaking his head no.

"I think that's his girlfriend's niece." Jack said, leaning back to lie flat on the ground, arms folded behind his head and resting one leg on the opposite knee. The woman shifted again, still watching Romani with a careful eye. Link looked down as the young girl whimpered, she was waking up, and Link shifted his grip on her as she reached up to rub her big blue eyes awake with a hand, the woman leaned forward to see her up close.

Romani looked up at Link, confused for a second, before an enormous smile spread across her lips, making Link smile in return. She reached up and touched his nose with a small finger.

"Uncle Link," she said, a tired quiver to her voice. "You found me."

Link nodded softly, and a look of concern crossed his face as she closed her eyes and gave a tiny moan, holding both small hands to her head.

"Owwie!" Romani whined, threatening to cry. Link picked her up so that she was on his lap and held her close as the woman walked on her knees to come up next to them. He didn't trust her at all, and couldn't stop himself from baring his teeth in a cautioning snarl. She held up her palms and met his eyes again.

"Just let me see her. I won't hurt her, I promise." She said coaxingly, her eyes pleading. Link reluctantly loosened his grip on Romani, and the woman reached forward, touching the lump with delicate fingers. Romani yelped in pain at her touch, pulling away.

"It's ok, sweetheart, I'm not trying to hurt you." She said soothingly, moving her fingers to brush the little girl's red hair out from in front of her eyes, Romani looked at her skeptically, confusion playing across her face.

"Auntie Malon?" She asked, startling Link and making the woman look up suddenly, glancing toward him.

"No, my name's Nola. But I do know Malon, she's your aunt?" She asked, rubbing her thumb and two fingers together in a strange manner, Link looked at her, she knew Malon? And then a realization hit him with the force of a small explosion. That's where I've seen her! She's a shadow!

He looked at her more closely, she looked remarkably like Malon, with the only differences being her eyes, hair, and a slight amount more weight around her midsection. She wasn't paying any attention to him though, she kept rubbing her thumb and forefingers together, which actually started to glitter slightly gold. She touched her fingers to the lump on Romani's forehead and this time, Romani didn't yelp. To Link's amazement, the lump actually started to disappear, to fade and recede, until her forehead was flat and unblemished.

Romani yawned softly and soon fell asleep as Nola continued to rub small circles on her head with the three glittering fingers. Noticing the awed look he was giving her, she laughed softly and stopped.

"All shadows posses magic. Mine happens to be healing." She explained, leaning back to sit on her heels.

"Hey, Miss, what are you doing here? You don't seem like the criminal type." Jack asked, not even sitting up to make eye contact. Nola seemed to become somber upon his question.

"I believe that man called 'Ganondorf' wanted the little girl and I as sacrifices. Said something about 'empowering his reign with the blood of pure-hearted maidens," she answered, a small smirk made it's way onto her lips. "But he wouldn't have won. What he doesn't know, is I'm not a maiden."

Jack sat up, looking at her with wide eyes.

"What you do mean, you're not a maiden?"

Nola smirked almost evilly, and coyly looked down at her stomach, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. Jack fell back with a groan.

"Don't tell me, you're expecting too, aren't you?"

Nola nodded, and leaned back further to make herself more comfortable.

"Oh come on! I finally find another good-looking girl on this adventure, and she's taken! Two girls! Two of 'em, and they both turn out pregnant!"

A quiet overtook the room, the only sound came from the torch as it flickered and cracked. Link couldn't think of a way to get out, the door was locked, the walls were solid, and what's more, he had two more people to try and protect. He hoped that Malon was ok, there was no sunlight coming in from the windows now, meaning that the sun must have set, leaving Malon to fend for herself against the cold.

Nola snapped him back to attention with a gentle poke to his shoulder.

"You have something magical on you." She said, looking down at his upper thigh. He shifted underneath her gaze, unsure of what she meant.

"Something that could get us out of here, it's in your pocket." She pointed to the pocket of his pants. He leaned to the side and reached inside, fingers groping around for something, anything. his fingertips brushed against something small, leathery and shriveled. Pulling it out, he found a small dry bean pod. _Whoa, I totally forgot about those._ He thought fingering the beans that the frumpy old man had given him at the Zora's River.

Nola squealed in delight upon seeing the beans, baffling Link, he held the pod out to her, and she took them with deft fingers and looked at them closely. She looked overjoyed as her ruby eyes scanned the pod, she stood without a word, and, carefully sweeping past him with an amazing grace, knelt beside the iron door. Jack watched her as she carefully dug a small hole in the sand, she gently broke the pod open, revealing three shriveled beans, one red, one green, and one blue.

She placed each bean in the hole, making sure they were far enough apart before covering them with the sand.

"I can't believe this! Where did you get these?" She asked Link over her shoulder, not remembering that he couldn't speak. She watched the ground carefully, stepping away from the planting area, she gave a small yip, causing both Link and Jack to start and turn to see what she was so excited about. In the ground, where she had planted the beans, was a single, green sprout.

Jack himself gave a shocked cry as the sprout quickly began to grow, it stretched upward and outward, getting bigger and bigger. Link was forced to jump to his feet, Romani still in his arms as he dodged out of the way as the bean sprout had a growth spurt. There was a deafening clang, and the iron door was wrenched from its hinges by the rapidly growing beanstalk.

Without a word, they all dodged into the hallway, Link carrying Romani and dragging Nola by the wrist while Jack followed behind. They sped through the room with the hieroglyphics and made it to the foyer within minutes, before they had to stop dead in their tracks. Standing between them and the door was an enormous suit of armor, the sun setting the metal aglow, it brandished a gigantic axe on it shoulder before making a few shuddering steps, metal-on-metal as the Iron Knuckle attacked…

* * *

Malon opened her eyes and rubbed her head, aching as she sat up, somehow, she was sitting on the bank of a spring. It was cool wherever she was, and a soft breeze rustled her hair as she drug herself to her feet. The spring seemed to glow with an unnatural blue light, whilst the area around her was pitch black. _Where was she?_

Her head ached, and she was stiff, but she couldn't find any substantial wounds other than a cut on her cheek. She stepped forward into the pool, the water was cool as it soaked through her thin shoes and swirled gently around her ankles. There was a soft golden glow in the middle of the spring, and Malon couldn't help but feel drawn to it. She sloshed toward the glow, cocking her head slightly to one side as she approached.

But the pit of her stomach seemed to drop out from underneath her as she neared the glow, the figure of a tall, lithe woman could be made out as she approached, the woman was sitting on top of a small stone placard, legs crossed primly. She resembled a Gerudo, but there was something different about her, something familiar.

Malon stopped about ten feet away, clasping her hands in front of her. The woman smiled gently at her, looking her over from head-to-toe.

"Hello Malon." The woman said, Malon took a few steps back. It was the same voice that had spoken to her in the desert. The woman slid gracefully from the placard to stand before her, and it was then that Malon understood why she seemed different. It was her eyes, which glimmered blue like the spring they were standing in, unlike the traditional amber that most Gerudo possessed.

The woman reached forward, offering a hand to Malon. She reluctantly released her hands from the tight clasp she had been using for comfort and allowed the woman to grip her right hand. For some reason, this seemed to please the woman immensely, as a serene smile spread across her face, making her eyes crinkle at the corners. The woman's hand felt like ice, and was so smooth she couldn't make out defining features of her bones.

"You've grown so much." She said with a light waiver to her voice, like she either wanted to laugh or to cry. Malon couldn't tell which as the woman gripped her hand tighter. _What was she talking about?_

"Wh-who are you?" She stammered, looking at the woman's face. She seemed so familiar, like she had met her before in some distant past.

"You don't recognize me," she said, pulling away and holding both her hands to her chest. She looked like she wanted to cry. "I suppose you wouldn't remember me, would you?"

Malon shook her head, still suffering from a headache, and now the confusion that was swirling in her mind, unable to process what was going on.

"I'm your mother, Malon."

* * *

**K'ger: Woo, that was a long chapter, wasn't it? But there it is.**

**Shout out to Link'sLily, her story, According to Legend, needs more followers! And it deserves more attention than it gets! So read it if you get the chance!**

**You know the drill, read and review.**


	30. A hero's group gets bigger

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did I would send Keapora Geabora to the moon.

**K'ger: Alright, I really don't have a lot to say about this chapter either, but lets just say that from this day forward, the chapters are generally going to be long, dark, and bloody.**

* * *

A hero's group gets bigger

* * *

Romani screamed as the looming figure of the Iron Knuckle clanked toward them, raising the massive axe above it's head and swinging it downward. Link and Nola jumped out of the way seconds before the axe came crashing down, splitting the vary substance of the earth beneath them. The Iron Knuckle gave an inhuman roar and charged forward, metal clanking and feet pounding on the tiles as Link, Nola and Jack bolted back down the corridor they had come from.

Knowing that the left path lead to a dead-end, Link led the small group down the right path, an unexplored area with unknown dangers, but at this point, the danger they didn't know was better than the danger they _did_ know. The right hallway was much darker than the last, with several portions of the wall jutting out into their paths with deadly spikes or were crumbling, causing large chunks of heavy stone to fall and threaten to crush them as they ran.

Link could hear the Iron Knuckle still chasing after them, surprising fast for such a heavy foe, too. It was probably only twenty feet behind them, metal clanking loudly and occasionally crashing into one of the spikes or chunks of stone and startling them with the deafening clatter. He could feel Romani start to cry, and as he ran, whirled her around so that she couldn't watch the monster chase them.

"What is that thing?" Jack asked, speeding up so that he was running alongside Link, careening around a bend in the path and dodging a blow from the Iron Knuckle as it slowly began to catch up with them. Link could hear the metal as it whistled through the air, just missing the back of his head and lopping off a few locks of Nola's hair. She gave a scream as the axe came dangerously close to her ears.

"Where are we going, Mr. Link?" She asked, her breath coming in soft, short gasps. Link gripped her wrist tighter and sped up, Romani still crying into his chest as he jumped over a piece of rubble and entered a wide, round room.

It was a dark room, with tile floors like the ones in the hallways, hieroglyphics covered the smooth walls like the room on the other side of the temple, and, to their dismay, there was no exit. The only way out of the room was the path they had just come from, and, as the group turned, saw that the Iron Knuckle had closed the gap, trapping them in the room. Nola and Romani yelped when eight torches lit completely on their own, illuminating the room and sending flickering sparks into the air.

"Well, that was lovely navigation, Blondie. You've actually managed to get us into a _worse_ position than we were in five minutes ago." Jack growled, his teeth flashing in a fierce snarl. Link shook his head, looking toward Nola, he handed her the still sobbing Romani and reached up, left hand wrapping around the hilt of the Biggorons Sword.

He ripped the sword from it's hilt and positioned himself in front of Romani and Nola, looking briefly toward Jack, he could see that the man had drawn his own knife, the metal blade was still stained a sickly black color from the Poe's blood. The Iron Knuckle took a few more clattering steps toward them, either ignoring or oblivious to the severe glares that Link and Jack were sending its way.

As the beast stepped forward, a hidden door fell down from the ceiling, closing off the room and trapping them with the monster.

Jack yelped as the Iron Knuckle brought it's axe down inches from him, the double-edged blade sank deep into the floor, splitting and cracking the tiles. Jack leapt back, holding his knife in front of his chest, the blade jutting out to challenge the hulking monster. With an angered roar, the beast swung the axe horizontally in an attempt to cut Jack clean in two, failing by only an inches' margin.

Link watched unsurely as the Iron Knuckle focused on Jack, swinging left and right while he dodged each strike, jumping back a little more with each swing. The beast seemed to become more and more frustrated as it failed to land a single blow.

The Iron Knuckle glowered down at Jack as his back hit one of the rounded walls, he swung his knife quickly, attempting to attack the beast in the same way he had attacked the Poe, but it was usless, as the knife's blade hit the armor, there was a loud crack, and the blade shattered, leaving only the hilt and pommel intact. _He was going to have to save him._

Link raised the Biggorons Sword to chest level, taking a breath before charging forward, driving the blade toward the Iron Knuckle's back…

* * *

"Mother?! Malon gasped, stepping back and splashing with her quick movements, the woman, stepping forward, took a hold of Malon's shoulders and looked at her fondly. Malon began to shiver, her grip was like ice on her exposed skin, and she looked at the woman with scrutinizing eyes, the only sounds she could hear was the water as it sloshed around her feet and the thrum of her heartbeat as it filled her ears.

_Was she really her mother? If so, how? Her mother had been killed when she was only two months old, how was she here now? Unless-!_

"Am I dead?" She asked, clasping her hands together over her stomach, fearing for what the answer was. In truth, the answer seemed to most likely be yes, her surroundings were almost ethereal, with the glowing blue water and the inky blackness that obscured her view past a certain range. Her question seemed to amuse the woman, and her grip tightened on Malon's shoulders, sending frigid tremors into her skin and down her spine.

The woman chuckled softly, making Malon feel uncomfortable as the water seemed to warm, but for some reason, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the woman's, the way they seemed the gleam was almost hypnotic.

"Malon, you needed to know the truth, which is why you're here, but no, you're not dead." She said, her grip becoming almost painful. Malon heaved a sigh of relief and tried nonchalantly to pull from the woman's grip, to relieve herself from the icy, dagger-like sting. Then she felt the woman's nails begin to dig into her skin, and she stopped moving abruptly, the woman's stare was harsher now, more intense.

"Are you dead?"

The woman seemed to somber when she asked the second question, her face fell, and her glimmering eyes darkened. Malon let loose a quiet sigh as she let go of her shoulders, easing the frozen pain. The woman reached up and fingered a small round pendant around her neck. It was a light, auburn-brown, with red, blue and green patterns strewn across the flat surface. It looked almost like a coin in shape, but appeared to be made out of wood.

The woman took the pendant by the simple white rope and pulled over her head so that it hung from her hands. She looked at the pendant, a rueful look in her eyes as it swung gently from side to side.

"This pendant is a Gerudo heirloom, passed down by one of the most prestigious families in the tribe. I received it when I was a little younger than you are now, just before I met your father, of course, under normal circumstances, none of the Gerudo would bat an eye as my choice in men, but, my being the equivalent of Hyrule's Princess Zelda, I was to choose a man suitable of siring the next heir," she said, her voice had a strange shudder to it, like she was recalling bad memories. "But I loved your father, and he loved me, so I did what any love-stuck twenty-year-old would do, I ran away."

She looked more closely at the pendent, and Malon could see a few silent tears slip down the woman's cheeks, dripping onto her simple red dress and darkening the fabric where they fell.

"But I couldn't escape my heritage, and it came back to haunt me about six years later. They attacked the ranch and, upon finding you, threatened to _kill _you. I managed to save you, your sister and your father, but they caught me, and drug me back to the fortress. It was there that I met my brother. "

All the information she as receiving was starting to clog, Malon could feel her mind reeling, all the things she thought she had known had been thrown right out the window. And how was her mother here?

"Your brother? I thought the Gerudo were all female." Malon asked, watching as the woman stood across from her, tears still falling, but at her words, the woman seemed almost to strengthen, like the mentioning of her brother made her angry. Her stance changed from one of sadness to one of defiance, setting her feet in the water and clenching her hands into fists.

"Yes, normally all Gerudo are female, however, once every hundred years, a single male is born, and that single male is my brother, Ganondorf. The matriarchs of our tribe, the Twinrova, took him away from our mother when he was born, taking him to the temple where your fiancé now to train him as king. Apparently he had ascended to the throne in the six years I was gone, and now ruled over my home with an iron fist. I am dead, Malon, because of your uncle's thirst for blood and power."

The woman pulled back the left shoulder of her dress, revealing a wound about the size of a sword's blade, right where her heart would be. It still glistened with blood, although it did not bleed down her thin form. Malon recoiled slightly when she thrust her right hand toward her, the pendant swinging with the motion.

"I want you to have this," she said, jutting the pendent toward her. "So that you will always remember your heritage. The Gerudo that inhabit this forsaken desert now are desperate, bloodthirsty monsters corrupted by Ganondorf's hate, unlike the once peaceful people that lived here before his reign. The Twinrova filled his heart and mind with a senseless rage that will only sleep in death, I pray for you and your fiancé's safety."

"Now here, take the pendant."

Malon reached out and took the pendant, her fingers brushing against the woman's icy hand as she took the rope. She slipped the rope over her head and let the pendant fall, the small coin-shaped piece landing just above her chest and resting against her skin, it was smooth to the touch, with a strange, almost magical warmth radiating from within.

"Be careful, and good luck."

Malon reached out suddenly, a strange notion to grab a hold of the woman, to wrap her arms around her and not let go. It was worse than before, she had grown up without a mother, never knowing what she was missing. But now she had seen her mother, felt her touch, heard her voice, and now she was loosing her all over again.

There was a loud snapping sound, and Malon sat bolt upright, hands gripping great handfuls of sand as she flew upward. Her breath came in short, raspy gasps, where was she? A low whickering sound met her ears, and a velvety muzzle nudged her shoulder, hot breath flowing onto her neck, almost making her sweat. She turned her head slightly, and saw Epona's huge head resting on her shoulder, liquid eyes looking at her with concern.

_Had it all been a dream?_

With a shaking hand, Malon stroked the bridge of the mare's nose, fingers glancing across the soft fur. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest, it felt like it was pounding against her ribcage, like it was fit to beat right out of her chest. It was then that she realized that she was crying, that silent tears were streaming down her cheeks. Epona nuzzled her chin, and, letting loose a sob, rolled over to cry into the mare's shimmering white mane, not noticing that she was still wearing the pendent…

* * *

There was loud crashing sound, the sound of crunching metal, and the Biggorons Sword sunk deep into the body of the Iron Knuckle. The beast let loose an agonized roar as the tip of the sword burst through the center of it's chest, deep purple blood dripping from both wounds, staining the sand, the sword, and Link's hands and arms black. He could hear Romani give a loud cry and it was all he could do to jump back.

The Iron Knuckle, blood still pouring out of the wounds, turned on him, wrenching the swords' grip from his hands and charged at him, rage fueling it's fire. It ran at him, the sword tip still protruding from its chest and the giant axe raised above its helm as it lumbered forward. Link backed away, and, as the Iron Knuckle swung its axe downward, rolled out of the way seconds before the blade made contact with the smooth wall.

Romani and Nola screamed as the axe broke through the wall itself and the Iron Knuckle tumbled through the hole it had created, leaving a thick trail of blood in it's wake. Link, after regaining his footing, clutched a hand over his left shoulder, a shooting pain filling his muscles and sending almost excruciating quakes through his arm, shoulder, chest and neck. He glanced down, but found no wound, no blood, nothing.

It took him several moments to realize why he was experiencing this pain: the shoulder wound he had from Dark. The doctor from Kakariko had warned him about permanent damage, but he really hadn't given it much thought before now. Apparently, the damage was worse than he had thought.

"You ok Blondie?" Jack asked, stepping toward him. Link nodded, letting go of his shoulder and putting on a fake smile so that they would leave him alone. He stepped toward the hole in the wall, and found that the Iron Knuckle had died, and all that was left was a shell, empty armor and a pool of blood. But just past the shell, was a room full of treasure. Glimmering rupees, golden coins and crowns and jewels of every color and size strewn across the floor and piled in the corners and overflowing from wooden chests.

Link could feel Jack come up to stand beside him, and watched with amusement as his companion leapt over the shell and bolted around the room, eyes wide with a child-like glee as he examined treasure after treasure, his thick leather boots clinking against the coins and rupees he stumbled over some of the jewels in his haste to take in every detail of the gold-tinted room. He didn't even notice the partially open door on the other side.

"Oh my gods! I'm rich! I'm rich! This is the best thing ever!" He enthused, grabbing fistfuls of the treasure and stuffing them into hidden pockets and satchels connected to his belt and even resorting to filling the toes and heels of his boots. Nola followed cautiously with Romani in her arms as Link led them into the treasure room, eyes set on the door. He wanted out, and he wanted out _now._

But as he passed the piles of treasure, he couldn't help but stop as his eyes caught on a specific piece of jewelry. Nestled between a few silver rupees was a pair of rings, the bases' of the two rings were gold, with blue bands around the middle and a single diamond being the focal point. He couldn't help but smile as a plan began to form in his mind, and he quickly grabbed the rings, seconds before Jack dove toward where the rings had been.

"Hey! Did you see two rings here? I was just about to pick them up and then…Poof, gone." He asked, looking at Link suspiciously. Link smiled nonchalantly, shaking his head and giving a small shrug of his shoulders, instantly regretting it as pain shot through his arm again.

"Huh, I swear-" Jack muttered, turning around again as his voice trailed off to pocket yet more treasure. Link could hear Romani start to whimper in Nola's arms, and walked over to run a hand over her head, his best attempt at soothing the child. He was still somewhat awkward with kids, but he had to get over that now that Malon was expecting, it was the least he could do to try.

Everyone looked up suddenly as a strange sound echoed out from beyond the door. It was an eerie, disturbing sound, high pitched and desperate. It sounded like the cry of a baby.

Link could feel his stomach tighten involuntarily, and after wrenching the Biggorons Sword from the metal hull of the Iron Knuckle, walked over to the door, pushing it aside with his right hand while returning the sword to it's sheath. The hallway, like almost all the hallways in the temple, was dark, the floor was barely visible, and a strange scent wafted from beyond his line of sight.

He motioned for the group to follow as he took the first step, his eyes narrow as he tried to make out where he was going, but it was no use, it was just to dark. Link could hear the other two following him, feet scuffing on the tile floors, the occasional grunt as one or the other tripped over something they couldn't see. As they walked, he prayed that this hallway led to an exit, he was tired, he was hungry, and, to be truthful, he was scared.

He pushed his fear away, pushed it down deep, to somewhere he couldn't feel it, couldn't hear the disturbing thoughts that would swirl in his mind. He let out a breath when he saw something, a faint glimmer of light ahead of him. The light at the end of the tunnel. _Thank the goddesses._

Link broke into a run, heart nearly pounding out of his chest in excitement and relief as he approached the exit. He could hear the others do the same, Jack actually giving a small yip of enthusiasm as he clomped after the group.

Everyone stopped suddenly when the exited the hallway. It hadn't been an exit, instead, they had entered an enormous room, with plain gray walls and stone floors. The only source of light came from four torches, one in each corner. A massive golden door stood directly across from them, a bar locking the door closed. Link could tell even from where he stood that the bar was too heavy to lift.

But his eyes didn't linger on the door for very long, what caught his attention and gripped it like a shackle was what stood in the middle of the room. A stone alter stood in the middle of the room, and a human shape was leaning over whatever was laid upon the altars surface. Nola and Jack seemed calm and even interested about the human, but Link could feel his stomach tighten further, to point of aching.

The human, obviously male, looked up, meeting Link's eyes with crystal blue irises. He was probably in his late forties or early fifties, with streaks of silver peppering his sandy blonde hair. He wore a thick cloak over a heavily embroidered leather tunic. The emblem of an eagle with a dead mouse in its talons was sewn onto the chest.

"Link?" He asked, not moving from the alter. Link desperately wanted to back away, get out of there, but he didn't want to show fear in front of Romani. The man went silent, staring at Link with his eyes narrow, as if not believing them.

"Who're you?" Jack asked, stepping up to stand beside Link, his satchels clinking with the treasures he had packed. But the man ignored him, and finally moved out from behind the alter to approach. Nola seemed to sense the tension between Link and the unknown man, and moved forward as well, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder with her free hand. Romani shrank into Nola's grip as the man got closer.

"I guess you didn't hear me, who are you?" Jack repeated, Link could hear a small chinking sound, and glancing down, could see he had pulled yet another hidden dagger, holding it discreetly under his wrist.

Finally, the man acknowledged Jack, turning his gaze to the black-haired man. Jack swallowed, momentarily baring his teeth in an assertive, almost territorial manner, his eyes narrowing further.

"I'm Aldric, and who might you be, young man?" He asked, his voice tense with a sense of authority. If Jack had been a dog, Link swore that his hackles would be up, watching as the man shifted aggressively under Aldric's presence, his knife poised to whip out and stab the man at any moment.

There was another cry like the one they had heard before, only it was louder this time, and this time, Link could make out where the sound was coming from. He could feel his heart clench when a realization hit him, that was what was on the alter. Aldric looked back toward the sound, and watched as Link pushed roughly past him and approached the bundled shape that rested on the stone surface.

Despite the heat, Link couldn't hold back a shiver as his eyes moved over the bundle. Swathed in tan cloth with red, green and blue patterns lining the edges, was a baby. It was very young, even Link, who didn't know the first thing about babies could tell that. But already, it had a swirl of red hair on the top of it's head, and when it opened it's eyes, revealed their amber hue. It was then that Link noticed the wicked knife that rested on the alter beside the child.

A male Gerudo.

He was startled by a warm hand gripping his shoulder, and turning his head quickly, found that Nola and Jack had followed him up to the stone dais. Nola was looking at the baby with her ruby eyes wide in concern.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jack questioned, looking at the baby suspiciously. Nola nodded, and Romani seemed to brighten at the sight, not realizing the severity of the situation.

"Yes, that would be Ganondorf's son." She answered, Jack gave a disgruntled snarl as Link reached forward and scooped up the bundle, soothing the baby's crying with a gentle touch. Somehow, he felt the need to protect the baby, even though he had no attachment to it. He blamed it on instincts.

"What do you think you're doing, Blondie?"

Link rolled his eyes and held the baby closer to his chest, ignoring Aldric and Jack and heading over to the door. Nola followed closely behind, leaving Aldric and Jack to watch them as they went.

"Link! We can't handle another piece of dead weight, you should leave that thing here!" Jack growled, following his companion toward the door. Link ignored him again, reaching the door. It was bigger than he had realized, and the bar was huge, at least three feet thick. And now he only had one hand to work with.

He instead ducked his shoulder underneath to use the core of his strength, but still had no luck, only making his shoulder throb.

"Jack! Get over here and help him!" Nola growled, motioning for Jack to help him. He could hear the man growl and stomp toward him. The next thing he knew, the bar was thrown off of the hooks it rested on and slammed onto the ground, startling both children and forcing a frightened cry from the baby. He had never known how strong Jack really was.

The baby kept crying as Jack pressed his hands against the door, trying to open it. Link wished he could talk, to sooth the child and quiet it's cries. With a final, loud grunt, Jack sent the door swinging open, the hinges creaking with age and lack of use, as the group stepped through the doorway, they were met with a pleasant surprise. The door led to the main hallway.

"Yes! Get me outta here!" Jack gasped, dashing out ahead of them and sprinting down the hallway. Link tensed as he realized that Aldric was following him and Nola. _Why was he here? Why was he being so courteous? And why had he been in the room with the baby? _These were all questions he begged to ask, but couldn't. He and everyone else heaved great sighs of relief as they stepped out of the temple and into the chilly night air.

Link could feel his muscles relax as he noticed Malon, reclining against Epona near the spring, whole and uninjured. Noticing him, she stood up quickly, only to let a look of shock and confusion cross her face at the greatly enlarged group.

"Link? Who-? Who are all these people?" She asked as he came near, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, only to pull away when she felt something squirm against her chest. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the baby in his arms. She stammered for a moment, unable to form even a single sentence.

_Ganondorf's son. He was going to kill the baby, I couldn't just leave it there. _He explained with a concerned expression. Malon couldn't help but smile as the baby reached toward her, she put a finger against the boy's forehead before glancing suspiciously at the other members of the group. It must've been maternal instincts.

"Link, who are all those people, you went to get Romani, not all those other people."

_Well, I believe that the girl is your shadow, and that other man is my father. He said the latter word with a venomous tone, setting his jaw in a grim line._

Malon looked at Aldric over Link's shoulder, staring first at Nola, and then at the man, eliciting a smile from him and unintentionally giving him the ok to come over and introduce himself. She stiffened when he approached them, feet sending small puffs of sand up in his wake.

"Hello, miss, who might you be?" He asked in a calm tone, reaching out and offering a hand, she reluctantly allowed him to shake her hand before pulling away and softening as Link put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"Um…my name's Malon, I'm Link's fiancé." She responded nervously, shifting to rest her head against Link. Aldric seemed surprised by this, and Link stiffened in surprise as the man clapped his back in a good-natured way.

"Fiancé! Goddesses, I never thought a rough-and-tumble boy like mine could make such a catch! Nice job, m'boy!" He said, laugh lines making his eyes seem to be almost…kind, startling him. Why was his father being so nice? He shrugged off his father's touch and roused Epona with a click of his tongue, one of the few noises he could make. The mare stood up and nudged his arm, moving so that her head was underneath his arm.

Despite how desperately he longed to sleep, Link knew that he had to get everyone out of the desert, it wasn't safe here for anyone, especially not for Malon, Nola, Romani or the baby. There was just one problem: they only had two horses.

Malon couldn't hold in a small giggle as Link gave her a leg up onto Epona, and as Link handed her the baby, he could see that Jack was giving Nola a ride on his stallion. That left his father, who was probably expecting a ride with him. Just great…

* * *

"They what?!" Ganondorf roared, turning around, his cloak billowing out behind him in the dark chamber. Byrne dropped to one knee and bent his head in shame, the Twinrova were standing just behind him, cackling like always.

"I'm afraid that the two maidens escaped…with your son." Byrne said, keeping his voice low. He could hear Ganondorf growl like an enraged wolf, and closed his black eyes as his master strode toward him, drawing a thick black sword, the sheath squealing as metal scrapped against metal.

"How could this happen?" He hissed, grabbing Byrne by the collar of his shirt and hefting him up so that the blade rested tightly against the smaller man's throat.

"They had some…help. Two men came wandering in and helped them in their escapes." One of the witches laughed ruefully, receiving a harsh glare from Ganondorf. Byrne winced as the sharp edge of he blade cut just a little bit into his neck, a few droplets of warm blood dripping onto his chest.

"Lord Ganondorf, I'll go after them," he whispered hoarsely. "And bring back their heads on a spear."

He gasped as Ganondorf let go, letting him slump to the floor. The tall, hulking man turned his back on Byrne and stomped back to a throne, where he sat down with a growl, his amber eyes glinting evilly.

"Fine. You can live for now, boy, but fail me one more time, and it'll your head that ends up on a spear…"

* * *

**K'ger: Ok, there's that chapter, I guess I lied about there being only a few chapters left, but we still are approaching the finale! And yes, there's a lot of unexplained stuff in this chapter, but don't worry, the next chapter is gonna be big and explain a lot of stuff.**

**Another big shout out to Link'sLily, her last review made my day! especially after the terrible day I had just had! Also, she just made it to twenty followers! Woo! Now she needs ten more to make it thirty!**

**And finally, Orchidlove123 and Twiliwolf13, its nice to hear from you again!**


	31. A hero takes a human life

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would slay Keapora Geabora and eat his liver with some fava beans!

**K'ger: Whoops, only a day and a half late! I know, I'm updating super-duper late at night, but this is the only free time I have right now. Anyway, I already said this in the last chapter, but major gore warning on this one. Proceed with caution.**

* * *

A hero takes a human life

* * *

"You know, this was really poor planning, Blondie," Jack started, his stallion straining under the increased weight of Nola and Romani. "Now we have to get back out of this forsaken desert hell, with four more useless people to worry about, and how exactly are you planning to feed that thing you're carrying?"

Link glanced down at the baby, which was snuggled in Malon's arms, soundly asleep.

"Link? I'm not completely comfortable with this." Malon whispered, turning her head to the side so that her words would only reach his ears.

_Comfortable with what?_ He asked, feeling her shift around to look at him with half-closed eyes.

"With the thing that is asleep against my chest right now. It's a male Gerudo, Link. Male, which means he's destined to take the throne. Let alone the fact that he's Ganondorf's son, what if he turns out evil too? Besides, a baby is a lot of work, and we have our own on the way." She hissed in reply, her eyes darting to Jack, who had turned to stare at the both of them, one eyebrow slightly cocked in interest. She had spoken a bit too loudly.

In a soothing way, Link pulled one hand from his hold on her waist and rested it on her bare shoulder, his fingers lacing through her hair. He looked down curiously as he touched something he had not expected, his fingers had brushed against something that felt like rope.

_What's this? _He asked, slipping a finger under the white twine to take a closer look. Malon seemed to stiffen against him, and he watched as she raised her free hand to her chest, wrapping her fingers around the pendant and looking at it with wide eyes.

"But…how-?" She whispered, her voice trailing off as she stared at the pendant, looking at the swirling red, blue and green patterns and wondering at the strange comforting warmth the radiated from within it. After looking at it for several moments, she held it up for him to see.

"It's a…Gerudo heirloom…my mother had it…"

_Your mother? But you said-!_ Link started, craning his neck to look at her and the pendant.

"I know, but while you were in that temple, I thought I had a dream about my mother…but, she gave me this pendant in the dream, which would mean that it…it wasn't a dream at all."

They rode in silence for the next few minutes, their breaths and soft shifting sounds from the horses were the only sounds that met their ears as the pendant swayed in her hand.

_You know, he needs a name._ Link said finally, trying to take her mind off of the strange pendant around her neck and causing Malon to look down at the baby again. She stayed quiet for several minutes after, simply looking down as Epona's movements rocked her gently back and forth.

"I've always liked the name 'Malikai'." She suggested. Link had never heard the name before, but somehow it seemed to fit, and he nodded his agreement.

"I believe it means 'angel' or 'messenger of the gods'." A rumbling voice said behind them both, drawing a pained expression onto Link's face, he could feel his father craning his neck to look over his shoulder. Malon discreetly lowered her arms so that Malikai was just out of the man's sight, suddenly protective of him.

_A little privacy would be nice. _Link thought begrudgingly, his shoulders slumped in annoyance as his father leaned back against him. He didn't like sharing Epona with his father, and he definitely didn't like his father trailing after him, he knew that the instant they made it out of the desert, he's try to rip him away from everything he'd worked for in the past few months. And most of all, he'd rip him away from Malon, something he couldn't stand the thought of.

"Um, Blondie, you might want to snap out of that doom and gloom stare for a minute. You might want to see this." Jack shouted, Link looked toward him and pulled Epona to a halt as he realized that Jack had done the same. Nola, who was seated in the same manner that Link's father was, looked around him to see what he was looking at, Romani soundly asleep on her lap.

The adults of the group all followed the same gaze to a point about fifteen feet from where the horses stood, a pool of dark black liquid shimmered in the moonlight ahead of them, several smaller pools of the same liquid was scattered around the same area.

"What is it?" Malon asked, leaning forward and squinting at the pools, Malikai woke with her movement, and made a soft cooing sound as he stirred.

"I believe, although I may be mistaken, that it is some sort of monster blood. And a whole lot of it." Jack answered, riding a few feet closer to the puddles. The stallion flicked his ears back as he approached the blood, the foul, metallic scent filling his nostrils.

Epona took a few unsure steps forward, brining them closer to the strange blood. Even from a distance, it smelled disgusting, like the very substance of death itself was floating in the air and assaulting their noses.

"What's it from?" Nola asked, startling Romani awake. The little girl wrinkled up her nose almost immediately as she woke, pinching the bridge of her nose as she sat up on Nola's lap.

A strange sound suddenly met their ears as they stared at the blood. It was an eerie little jingling sound, like a bell echoing across the sandy dunes. The horses began to fidget nervously as the sound grew louder, and was soon joined by several more sounds like it.

And then they saw it. A faint yellow light bobbing ahead of them, piercing the otherwise dark night sky with it's flame-like light. Jack's stallion threw his head back as several more lights appeared beside the first one, the top of the horse's head met Jack's chin, sending his rider reeling backward with a grunt. Nola screamed and dodged seconds before he toppled into her, and instead, he tumbled off of the horse's back.

Link watched the lights carefully, one hand moving subtly to the hilt of his sword. The lights bobbed around in front of them, about a hundred feet from them. A loud, cackling laugh shrieked above the other sounds, causing both horses to squeal and fight their restraints, Jack's stallion actually made it a few feet before Nola could grab his reins and pull him up, leaving Jack to scramble to his feet beside Epona.

The shrieking laughter, close to twenty voices in unison, startled both the children, forcing a frightened yelp from Romani and causing Malikai to cry. Aldric slipped from Epona's back, feet hitting the sand with a small thud as he landed beside Jack. One hand went down to the edge of his boot and he withdrew a long knife from a sheath hidden inside.

"Are those what I think they are?" Malon asked, leaning back against Link and holding Malikai tightly, soothing his cries. He nodded, and unsheathed the Biggorons Sword as the lights came closer, dark shapes could be made out behind each light, flowing fabrics and rotting fingers. They were Poes.

"Damnit! Not them again!" Jack growled, flicking his wrist so that a knife slid from a scabbard in his glove. Romani gave a stifled scream and hid her face in Nola's dress, small fingers clutching the black fabric in fear as the Poes drew nearer, their multicolored lanterns shedding eerie light on the sandy dunes.

Lagging behind the group was a Poe that was larger than the rest, it bobbed around unsteadily, like it was disoriented and held a decomposing hand to its stomach. Purplish-black blood still dribbled from a deep wound in its abdomen. It was the same Poe that had tried to eat Jack.

The Poes stopped ten feet away from them, red eyes glinting eagerly at their pray. The wounded yellow Poe, barely clinging to life, slipped between the others' to float in front, its eyes flickered a strange color.

"You," it hissed, its voice was scratchy and hoarse, almost like it was being strangled. "You'll pay for this."

"What are those…things? And why is that one bleeding?" Nola asked, unable to tear her ruby eyes away from the group of Poes. It was Aldric that answered.

"Those're Poes, miss, pure concentrated hatred." He said, firmly gripping the hilt of his knife and holding it so that it jutted out in the direction of the monsters.

The wounded Poe cackled softly as a larger shapes appeared behind it, and as the shape drew nearer to it, swirled around and lowered itself to the ground, pressing it's hands to the sand.

"Oh master! Look at what these wretched _humans_ have done to me!" it wailed, pounding its fists on the ground like a child. "But you! You can revive me! Please master! Give me the strength to kill these creatures like the dogs that they are!"

"You're delusional. I'm not your master," a deep, reverberating voice growled. "But please, allow me to give you quick death!"

The group watched in astonished horror as a long rapier lunged forward and shattered the Poe's lantern. The Poe screeched so loudly that Link felt as though his ears would bleed. There was a final shriek, and then the Poe disintegrated, the shards of its lantern scattering across the bloodstained sand.

The shape stepped over where the Poe had died, and entered the eerie lantern light, revealing its identity. It was a man, tall, with broad shoulders and wearing all black clothing. His face was set in a cruel grin, his silvery teeth flashing at them.

"Thought you got away, didn't you?" Byrne laughed, running his fingers along the blade of his rapier. Then his eyes, soul-less black orbs, darted to Aldric, and for a moment, a look of fear actually flashed across his face.

"Hello Uncle." He sneered, raising his chin in a defiant gesture. Everyone turned to stare, disbelievingly, at Aldric, who glared at Byrne with a severe grin curling across his lips.

"Hello, Nephew, its been a while. I see you've chosen a different path than your father would have wanted."

"Oh, you know, I just go where the power lies. You're outnumbered, why don't you stand down and allow yourself a quick death?"

Link's father didn't answer, only gripping his knife tighter, so tightly that his knuckles turned white. _Uncle? Didn't that make Byrne his cousin? Ugh_.

Epona and Jack's stallion whinnied suddenly as the Poes rushed toward them, some of them with their tongues lolling out of their mouths ravenously. Malon yelped as Link jumped off of Epona, he begrudgingly stood beside his father, giving up on his brooding.

"Link! What are you doing?" She asked, leaning off of Epona to look at Link, her narrow in suspicion. Link leaned over and pecked her cheek before slapping a hand on the red mare's haunches.

_Epona, take the stallion and get them out of here, go as far as you have to make sure Malon and the others are safe._ He commanded, shielding his eyes as Epona dug her hooves into the sand and sent puffs of it into the air as she galloped off with Jack's stallion following closely behind.

A few of the Poes started after Epona, but a warning growl from Byrne stopped them in their tracks.

"Let them go. We can go after them later," he said, snarling. He took a few sauntering steps forward, swinging his rapier around, like he was testing its weight. "But if you'd like, kill them, and you can feast all you like."

Link hadn't been prepared for the onslaught followed, close to twenty Poes descended on them, rotting hands frantically grabbing at them and trying to make quick meals of them. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, he thrust a foot into one of the Poes' lanterns, shattering the glass.

The Poe screamed like the yellow one had, shrieks so loud to nearly draw blood from their ears before it fell to the ground, its body made up of nothing more dust by the time it hit the sand.

"Break the lanterns! It'll kill them immediately!" Jack yelled, flinging one of his knives through a lantern as he did. Swinging the Biggorons Sword with both hands, Link took out several of the Poes at once, and smirked at Byrne's dumbfounded expression. Within minutes, all of the Poes had been slain, leaving only Byrne to stand in their way.

"Huh, I guess you're not completely brainless, are you?" He snorted, widening his stance and holding the rapier out in front of him.

Without warning, Byrne charged forward, catching Link off-guard and landing a blow to his left wrist. Link gasped as the tip of the blade dug deep into skin and muscle, cutting through and staining the blade crimson. With a sudden ferocity he had not expected, Aldric thrust a kick into Byrne's side, sending him staggering away, gasping as the air was knocked from his lungs.

"Knock it off Byrne," Aldric said in a low growl. "You know this isn't right, your father taught you better than this!"

Byrne looked up, a wild look flashing in his eyes.

"My father was a coward! He wanted me to be 'the perfect heir'. He wanted me to cross my T's and dot my I's and be a good boy." He puffed mockingly. His black eyes darted to Link, an accusing look passed between them.

"Oh yes, sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Byrne growled. "Two privileged sons of nobility, not wanting the responsibility. And yet, there's one difference between you and I, do you know what that is? I didn't run away like a coward! I took action. I killed my father, and look where its gotten me! I'm free to do whatever I want, and unlike you, I have power."

Link took a step back, blood dripping from his wrist as transferred the Biggorons Sword to his right hand to ease the pain in his left. Byrne was trying to corrupt him, he was trying to recruit him for Ganondorf's army.

"You're insane." Jack spat, flipping another dagger in his hands. Byrne started laughing as his breath returned, he strode toward them again, and before anyone could react, he had grabbed Jack by the throat.

"I'm not insane, you fool! I've seen what true power is!" He roared, bringing the rapier to jab at Jack's chest. He sneered at Jack's frightened expression and licked his own lips like a hungry dog.

"I'll kill _you _first, and then, maybe a Leever will make a meal of you!"

The blade came even closer to cutting into Jack before he stopped cold, his face suddenly ripped in pain, and the next moment, he dropped the rapier and fell. Link was standing behind him, the Biggorons Sword dripping with fresh blood. He dropped the sword and into the sand and tried to wipe the thick red liquid from his hands.

Looking down, Link suddenly felt sick, both by crimson blood dripping from his blade and Byrne on the sand, bleeding from the wound he had created. He had killed his fair share of monsters, but he had never taken a human life, and he knew Byrne's wound was fatal. Jack jumped back a few feet, and a look of newfound fear and respect crossed his face.

"You won't…win…" Byrne said shakily, grabbing fistfuls of sand and pulling himself around so that he could glare up at Link. "You're no match…for Ganondorf…he…will win…and then you…you'll be the one that's dead…"

The three men watched mercilessly as Byrne bled out in mere minutes, Epona and the stallion cautiously returning as he did, the sand shifting beneath their hooves.. After a few more minutes, Aldric leaned down and pressed a finger to the crook of Byrne's neck.

"Dead." He said, standing back upright with a shake of his head.

Link looked out at the horizon, not making eye contact with either of them, he fought tirelessly to keep from vomiting. He had killed a human. Yes, Byrne had been a crazy, power-mad villain that had stolen the three Spiritual Stones for Ganondorf and betrayed the royal family. Yes, he had threatened to kill his family. But he was a human being, and though he had no memory of it, was his cousin. He had killed a family member in cold blood.

"Link, lets go." Aldric coerced, taking Link by the shoulder and turning him toward the horses. He walked over to Epona like a statue, his jaw set in a grim line as he mounted Epona and found his seat behind Malon. He put on a calm façade, but inside, he could feel himself cracking, little chinks into his mind, a subtle, wounded thought slithering through his mind.

Malon could feel his muscles were tense as she leaned gently against him, and she could hear that his heartbeat was swift and hard against his ribcage.

"Are you ok?" She asked in a barely audible whisper, busying herself by tucking Malikai's blanket tighter around his tiny body.

I'm perfectly fine. He answered, wrapping both arms around her waist and resting his head on the top of her's. Aldric stayed off of the red mare, walking in between Epona and Jack's stallion as they continued into the desert. They were halfway through the forbidden wasteland…

* * *

**K'ger: There you go, chapter thirty-one. Wow, this story is getting longer than I had anticipated! Anyway, shout out to Link'sLily! Check out her other stories, like In The Streets and Everybody's the Same In the Dark. Although you should read According to Legend too!**

**Ooh! and thanks to Shadowmaster Thor Stonehenge for the kind words! thank you very much for reading! (:**

**And another Character song:**

**Byrne**

**I'm Only Joking by The Kongos. (Warning, throws the F-Bomb around, but still a great song!)**


	32. A shadow hits a wall

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would ostracize Keapora Geabora in the Forbidden Wasteland.

**K'ger: Welp, no real notes here. Just read. **

* * *

A shadow hits a wall

* * *

"Hey! Look!" One of the Gerudo guards shouted, pointing out into the forbidden wasteland. Another guard popped her head out of a hatch in the watchtower floor, staring up at the guard with tired eyes, dark circles underlined her amber irises.

"What do you want, Ghanti? It's late." The other guard groaned, reluctantly pulling herself fully onto the watchtower.

"There…there're _people_ out there!"

The guard looked out over the low stone wall, staring into the western desert. Ghanti was right. Two horses could be seen walking across the sandy dunes, heading straight for the fortress gates, three men were walking alongside the great beasts, while it appeared that two women were seated atop the horses.

"What in the name of-? How did they survive?" The guard whispered to herself, staring at the travelers in awe. She then turned and quickly repelled down a wooden ladder.

"Guards! Intruders in the forbidden wasteland!" She cried, grabbing a spear that she had left leaning against the wall and dashing over to the iron gates. A small group gathered behind her as the men and their horses drew near.

"What do we do?" One of the lower-ranking Gerudo whispered, brandishing her spear.

"Open the gates, and kill them before they get a chance to fight."

Ghanti glanced glanced between the travelers and her commander, her short red hair occasionally swinging in front of her eyes.

"But…master. There are children!" She said, looking at the two women seated atop the horses. One clutched a newborn to her chest, while the other had a little girl clinging to her lap, the little girl stared at the group of Gerudo, her eyes wide and filled with fright.

Ghanti didn't expect to be grabbed roughly by the shoulder, she gave a yelp of surprise and looked up with frightened amber eyes, her master was glaring down at her.

"Children? They aren't Gerudo, and you know His Highness's command. Kill anyone that infiltrates, that includes children." Her commander hissed, her voice was cold and merciless as she mentioned the slaughter of children. This was something that Ghanti just didn't understand, how did heritage condemn innocent children to death?

She looked out at the travelers again. Most of them were obviously related, the only one out of place was the one with the black hair, a young man with piercing green eyes. A family, loved ones persevering together through the forbidden wasteland. Ghanti looked away, she didn't want to kill them, but they weren't Gerudo, there was nothing she could do.

The group of travelers shifted nervously as two of the Gerudo started to open the iron gates. The gears squeaked and squealed loudly from lack of use. Link glanced over as Romani made a quiet whimpering sound, hiding her face against Nola's dress. As the gates slowly cranked open, he reached up and took the hilt of the Biggorons Sword, ignoring the flash of pain in his wrist as he drew the long sword from its scabbard.

Epona pranced beneath Malon, her large hooves thudding in the sand. The squealing gears woke Malikai from his sleep, and Malon hurriedly quieted his cries with a cooing noise and a gentle brush of her hand.

"They're going to try and kill us, aren't they?" Nola asked in a hushed whisper, looking over at the three men. Link nodded his reply, flicking the Biggorons Sword as his own blood still dripped from the wound on his wrist and onto the otherwise shining silver blade.

With a clattering bang, the gates opened all the way, and the horses both jumped back, startled as the Gerudo charged. Spears flashed forward, the rising sun setting metal blades agleam as the Gerudo attempted to spear them where they stood.

Only Ghanti noticed as the red-haired woman with the infant grabbed at something around her neck, only she noticed as the woman yanked a familiar pendant over her head and held it high, displaying it for all to see.

"Stop!" Ghanti cried desperately, letting her spear drop to the ground and stopping dead in her tracks. Reluctantly, the other Gerudo warriors took heed, and all looked to where she was pointing. Malon shifted underneath the gaze of thirty pairs of harsh eyes, the only comfort she took was of Link beside her, he brandished his sword, daring any of the warriors to take a step closer.

"Gods, is that what I think it is?" The commander breathed, her grip loosening on her spear. Ghanti ignored the fierce look Link gave her and dodged over to stand in front of Epona, who took a few steps back.

"Look! That pendant is a Gerudo heirloom passed down by the most prestigious in our history! And what do we do to the holder of that pendant? We try to kill her and her family! Gods, what is _wrong_ with all of you?!" She shouted, balling her hands into tight fists and glaring at her comrades. The Gerudo lowered their heads in shame, and Malon looked down dubiously as Ghanti turned to her with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, my comrades are foolish, ever since Ganondorf came here from the Desert Colossus with the Twinrova thirty years ago, our people have declined. We've become nothing more than monsters, hell-bent on 'purifying' the land by killing those of whom we do not wish to speak. We've become selfish, and cruel, and that was no way to treat someone of your bloodline." Ghanti said, bowing her head in respect.

Link, Jack and Aldric all stared at Malon, mouths agape. _Malon was related to the Gerudo? No, scratch that, Malon was Gerudo royalty?_

Returning the pendant to its rightful place around her neck, Malon gave a small cock of her head, beckoning Link to mount Epona. He obeyed, swinging a leg over Epona's back and pulling himself onto the large mare behind her, putting one hand on her hip for balance. To Link's annoyance, Aldric mounted Epona behind him, sitting backwards on the great mare.

"Let us pass." Malon said in an unusually commanding voice, holding her head high.

Scooting back a few inches, Nola made room for Jack to mount in front of her on his stallion. The Gerudo parted as the two horses obeyed their masters' calls, starting forward and flicking their ears forward nervously as the warriors watched them.

Without another word, Malon urged Epona to go faster, the mare broke into a steady canter, leading Jack's stallion through the Gerudo Fortress. Link rested his chin on top of Malon's head again as the secondary gates opened, the gates that led to freedom. To the entire group's relief, the bridge had been repaired while they had been in the desert, sparing them from having to make the dangerous ravine jump.

_A princess, huh? _Link thought, teetering on sarcasm.

"Half." She responded as the two horses set hooves on the wooden bridge, clattering across and into the narrow, rust-colored valley that led to Hyrule Field.

_Well, that's enough of a princess for me_…

* * *

Dark gasped and grabbed his wrist, a sudden searing pain shooting through his arm. Looking down, he saw that his own purplish-black blood was dripping from a deep cut that stretched across his wrist. His Light-World counterpart sure did accumulate wounds, and yet, by some miraculous force, never died from them_. Just his luck._

He rarely had good luck. Ever since he had been a little boy, still full of as much innocence as a child being raised in the Dark World could posses, he had had terrible luck. Unlike Link, he had been born to a very poor family, so from a very young age, he had scrounged around for any job that would take him.

A rueful grin crossed his lips when he thought about the one piece of good luck he could remember in his life. Nola. The most sought after girl in his village. The girl that had had every amorous young man in a fifty-mile radius vying for her affection. It still baffled him that he had won her attention, that he had gained her trust. He wasn't sure why she had picked him, after all, she had had her pick of men, and yet she chose him.

And then the rebellion had started, mere months after he and Nola had started their relationship. He had just proposed when the attack reached their village, and resulted in its demise. He had fled with Nola, but they had been followed, and after a severe blow to his head had been thrust, he had woken the next morning to find that his fiancé was missing.

He had searched for days before a tall man had approached him, a stranger with sickly green skin and flaming red hair that matched that of the stallion he rode. The man then had uttered some strange words, a language he didn't understand, and that had been the end of his freedom. That had been the day he had been summoned.

Heaving a sigh, he pressed his back against one of the grimy walls and slid down, sitting on the cobblestone floor of the Shadow Temple. Gripping his wrist to slow the flow of blood, his crimson eyes rested on the red, upside down Triforce that adorned his right hand. Why did he have it? What good did it do for him?

A small popping noise jarred him to consciousnesses, his pointed ears straining to figure out where the sound had come from. He was hypersensitive to sounds like that now, being trapped in the Shadow Temple with monsters bent on eating him around every corner. This had been one of the few moments of peace he had had for the last week. He felt like he was going to collapse of exhaustion soon.

Dark looked up from his place on the floor, scanning the hallway thoroughly, he could feel his heart pumping inside his chest, hard. It pounded against his ribcage like a drum, and he could hear the rush of blood in his ears.

And then he heard footsteps. Loud clicking sounds, like hard leather boots on the stone floors. He stood up, preparing himself for whoever, whatever was coming his way. He held his breath as the footsteps got louder, and seconds later, a tall, humanoid figure rounded the bend. Was it a ReDead? It was tall, but not _that_ tall, and it had a more feminine shape, with obvious curves and bends. It was a woman.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway, her cold crimson eyes met his, and a smirk curled across her delicate lips. She had an angular face, with distinct cheekbones and thin eyebrows. Her hair was as black as a moon-less night, and was pulled into a long flowing ponytail behind her head. Her clothes consisted of a dark purple dress that had been cut at the knees, and tall black boots. A jewel encrusted rapier hung at her hip.

Dark narrowed his eyes at the woman. Who was she? And what the _hell_ was she doing in the Shadow Temple?

She took a few more steps toward him, her boots clicking on the floor. She pursed her lips as she drew near, and gave a haughty laugh as Dark leaned away.

"You're Dark, right?" She asked, her voice was a low, husky purr. She reached up with a hand and ran her own slender fingers through her hair, batting her long eyelashes at him.

"That depends on why you're asking." He replied, holding his ground. Dark jolted when the woman raised a hand and, pressing her thumb and forefinger together, disappeared with a snap. She was gone. Dark looked around, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The woman's voice hissed in his ear. He jumped when he felt her grip his shoulder, long red nails dug into the collar of his black tunic. He shivered when lips brushed against the back of his ear.

"Maybe you should guess." She whispered, pressing her lips against the back of his neck and forcing a disgusted yelp from Dark. He pulled away from the woman and turned quickly, his crimson eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"Who the heck _are _you?!" He demanded, raising his chin defiantly and giving the woman a warning glare as she again took a few daring steps toward him. His question seemed to amuse her, and she started to laugh. A cruel, shrieking laugh that sent another tremor down Dark's spine. She snapped her fingers again, and Dark couldn't withhold a frightened yelp as she appeared directly in front of him, her face only inches from his.

"Me? My name's Lorelei, and now, you're _dead_."

Dark's eyes widened and he took a harsh, rasping breath as the woman plunged a dagger deep into his gut…

* * *

**K'ger: Ooo, a cliffhanger! been a while since I did one of those! Sorry if this chapter was a little more boring than the average, or if it was a little short, but trust me, the next chapter will be long and exciting!**

**And the details on Lorelei are vague on purpose! Next chappie will explain her.**

**Oh, and here's how you pronounce Lorelei:**

**(Lore-EL-I)**


	33. A hero is no help

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, I would...oh I don't know, don't you think Keapora Geabora is dead enough already? I mean, come on, I've fed him to dragons and locked him in unfortunate places and given him very bad cases of food poisoning!

*If anyone has any bad fates for the Blah-Blah Owl, tell me in a review, I'm running on empty here!*

**K'ger: Ok, This chapter has a little of everything in it really. Action! Adventure! Spells, curses and admittedly not very catchy songs! New characters, old characters...just plain OLD characters!**

**But also be warned, gore and suspense ensue!**

* * *

A hero is no help

* * *

Hyrule Field was a welcome change to the forbidden wasteland, with soft, cool breezes and great green trees with shady boughs that provided great relief to the travelers after their desert ordeal. While they rested in the shade of a particularly large oak tree, a slight ache began to surface in Link's gut. It was a minor pain, and Link could more than handle an ache or two, it seemed his entire life was made up of aches and pains nowadays.

But as he reclined against the trunk of the giant tree, the pain began to worsen, until it was so painful that he could think of nothing else, until he was forced to grab at the ground beneath him as if willing the earth to ease the throbbing in his gut. It felt as though someone had shoved a dagger into his stomach, and, finally looking down, realized with a rueful shake of his head that it was exactly what had happened.

A dark, sickening crimson hue bloomed through the fabric of his dirty, off-white shirt.

_That damned shadow finally got desperate._ He thought, reaching down and holding a hand to the wound. He could almost picture Dark, his shadow, driving a dagger into his own stomach, crazed with the irrational need to kill him. He choked down the fear that began to swell in his stomach, and as he rose painfully from his seat, elicited a collective gasp from his group.

Malon was the first to her feet, dashing to his side and looking at the bloody wound with wide, frightened blue eyes. Without hesitation, she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, yanking it from his frame and exposing his chest, shoulders and abdomen. She stifled a gasp as her eyes were immediately drawn to the large, deep wound on his lower stomach.

"What-? H-how?" She uttered, grabbing his shirt off of the ground and frantically clotting it in front of the wound. Link winced and wished he had his voice, wished that he could ease his pain with a groan. She stopped in the middle of her frenzy, a sudden look of realization crossing her face.

"Dark." She said in a hoarse whisper. Jack and Aldric glanced at one another, eyebrows low in confusion.

"Who?" They asked in unison, Aldric stepping a few feet closer to Link. He ignored the fierce look his son gave him as he examined the injury with his crystal-blue eyes.

"Link's Dark-World counterpart. Apparently the freak gave up on his honor and decided to commit suicide." Malon answered, resuming her makeshift bandaging as Link swayed where he stood, she didn't notice as Nola gave her a somewhat disapproving look. Without any bidding, Epona moved over to them and nudged Link's shoulder in concern.

Link collapsed after a few more minutes, and it was the best Malon could do to aim him toward Epona's back. He slumped against the mare's large withers, letting his head loll back against her mane and clutching both hands to his side, his fingers turning red as blood continued to swell through the white fabric of his shirt.

"Why won't it stop bleeding?" Malon said, her voice tight in a frenzied panic. "I've bandaged it as good as I can, but it just won't stop!"

She jumped when Nola put a hand on her shoulder, and turned to stare into her shadow's ruby eyes.

"You don't know about shadows, do you?" Nola said, glancing at Link occasionally. Malon shook her head, her red bangs falling in front of her eyes. She looked as though she was on the verge of tears, her hands were balled into fists, and she couldn't keep still, moving her weight from one foot to the other.

"If a shadow is injured, then their Light-World counterpart will gain a similar wound of the same severity regardless of whether or not they've done the same thing their shadow has. In addition, if a Hylian can manage to stop the bleeding, but the shadow cannot, then both will die."

Malon turned back to Link, and with the help of Jack, pulled him onto the mare's back. He leaned forward, hands leaving bloody trails in Epona's white mane as he gripped her neck for support. With quick strides, Malon went over to where she had settled Malikai in a tangled bed of aboveground roots.

She grabbed him, startling the small baby and causing him to cry. Ignoring his cries, she thrust him into Jack's arms before mounting Epona behind Link.

"Nola, I need you to come with me, Link said you have healing magic, I need you to heal them both when I find Dark." She said, outstretching her hand for Nola to take. She pulled the white-haired girl onto Epona with her, and once she was on, put her hands on Link's shoulders to steady him. Malon leaned low over Link, holding him in place as she whispered a command to the mare.

"Epona, I need you to take us to Kakariko Village. Fast as your hooves can take you." She said, her tone, although hushed, betrayed her fear. The mare turned her head slightly to meet her master's eyes, and nodded, flicking several locks of her bloodstained mane out of in front of her eyes and starting forward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack called. "What am I supposed to do with this thing?"

Malon pulled Epona around for a moment, and glared at him.

"Just…watch him. And take care of Romani too!"

Epona whirled around again, and this time, broke into a gallop, heading toward the huge, looming figure of Death Mountain on the northeast horizon.

"Hey! You're just gonna leave me here to baby-sit two helpless brats and an old man?!" Jack yelled, struggling to get his voice heard over Malikai's shrill cry. He stiffened when he felt Romani wrap her arms around his leg and, she too, began to cry. What had he done in a past life to deserve this? He wondered as Aldric chuckled almost evilly at his lost expression.

Epona flew across the immense field, hooves sending large chunks of earth and grass flying in her wake as she dug into the ground, willing her thick legs to take her as fast as they would take her. Nola clung to the mare's hindquarters, watching as her Light-World counterpart leaned protectively over the blonde-haired man.

What was his name? Link? She knew almost nothing of the people who had graciously taken her under their wings and protected her with their lives from the very people who had kidnapped her from the start.

As the great mare swung around a low stone fence, Malon gripped Link's shoulders tighter and couldn't help but press her forehead against neck, closing her eyes and trying to collect herself. She had to be strong, for Link's sake. _Please, goddesses above, please, just let him be ok. _She looked up, a few disobedient tears dripping from her cheeks when Nola poked her arm gently, and moved her gaze to where the woman was pointing.

Standing at the crest of a hill to their left, the rising sun at it's back, was an enormous horse. From what she could tell, it was probably black in color, although it could also be a very dark brown, but Malon could also see that a tall figure was sitting astride the beast of a horse. She couldn't see his face, but even then, she spurred Epona to go faster when the horse reared up, hooves striking the air before it sprung forward, giving them chase.

Malon glanced down at Epona's neck, seeing that Link's sword, the one that the mountain girl had given him, was slung over the mare's neck, hanging there by the bandoleer strap. She glanced back toward the horse, which was quickly gaining on them, before making the decision to pull it from its sheath.

It weighed more than she had expected, and it took both hands to wield, but she still held it confidently as the horse drew near. She had not, however, expected the horse to crash headlong into Epona, knocking her aside and sending all three of her riders' tumbling from her back.

Malon looked up when giant hooves came close to her face, only inches from the tip of her nose. The horse and rider loomed over her, and she scrambled to her feet when the rider dismounted, hefting to Biggorons Sword up to point at the man's chest. He was taller than her, with mean, beady eyes and a deftly pointed chin with a tightly trimmed goatee. He smirked at her frightened expression.

"I'm so sorry miss, I must've…missed you, I didn't mean to hit your horse." He said in an obviously sarcastic tone. Malon's eyes fell upon the embroidered picture of an eagle. Malon gripped the hilt more tightly when the man drew two short swords from twin scabbards on his back.

"No, I meant to hit _you_!"

Malon ducked and Nola screamed when the man swung the twin blades, lopping off several of Malon's red locks. She dodged around him and, with her mind flashing back to when she had been a little girl and her father had taught her how to take care of herself, swung a hard kick to hollow of his left knee.

His legs buckled, and he gave a loud cry as Malon thrust a debilitating blow to the back of his head with the gold hilt of the sword.

Nola stared, wide-eyed as she single-handedly dropped a soldier without using dirty tricks or cheep shots.

"How did you do that?" She gasped, watching with an awed expression as Malon moved over to Link and quickly looked him over. He was still bleeding, and he was unconscious now. She had to hurry up. Epona stood up from the ground at her master's bidding and moved over to allow the two women to pull Link onto her back.

Epona broke into a gallop again, leaving the unconscious man in their dust…

* * *

"Whoa, what happened here?" Nola asked, clinging to the short, silky hairs of Epona's coat as the mare slowed to a trot. They had made good time on the path to Kakariko Village, and as they entered what was left of the village from the fire, it had seemed to hit Nola hard.

"A fire." She answered, steering Epona down the main path. She pulled the mare up by the mane when she saw two people standing ahead of them. She didn't want to slow down, she had to get to the Shadow Temple, she had to find Dark so that Nola could heal the both of them.

The two people had their backs to Epona, but upon hearing the mare's frustrated whinny, turned to see who had come their way. One was a woman, with stark white hair like Nola's, only it was shorter and pulled into a short, perfectly kept ponytail. She wore a heavy silver chestplate and shoulderguards, and a shortsword was strapped to her back.

The other was male…probably…it was hard to tell. He had a thick wrapping of cloth around his head, a slit just wide enough for his harsh eyes to pear through was all that was left open, and a few stray locks of golden hair hung in front of his eyes. In his arms he carried an elegant golden harp.

"Who are you?" The woman called suspiciously, putting a hand on the hilt of her sword. Epona took a few more steps toward the two, and it was then that the woman saw the blood that was dripping down the horse's coat.

"I need to pass, my fiancé is dying, I need to get to the Shadow Temple."

The woman and the man exchanged a nervous look.

"You know about the Shadow Temple?" The male asked, his voice was light, and melodious. Malon let her head dip and shook softly, still holding onto Link's shoulders, she didn't have time for this.

"Yes, I know about the Shadow Temple, now let us pass!"

Epona surged forward, swinging past the two people and galloping up the steep dirt path that led to the Kakariko Village graveyard. The graveyard was one of the only places in the village that had not been touched by the fire, but that didn't change the dark ambiance and impending sense of death.

With careful steps, Epona carried Malon, Link and Nola past the rows of graves. Malon looked up when Epona stopped, and the mare's ears flicked back as if she heard something she did not like. There was a sickeningly familiar laugh behind them, and she turned her head to see that a small, purple Poe was bobbing around behind them. She was tired of Poes.

Seeing that an easier path had been made since she had been here last, much easier than the one Link has used to reach the temple, Malon ignored the Poe and spurred Epona up a very steep climb and urged the uneasy mare into the dark tunnel that led to the Shadow Temple…

* * *

Dark's head drooped in pain and he groaned pitifully as the black-haired woman gave a brutal twist of her hand, digging the dagger deeper into his stomach. Weakly lifting his head, he could see that the woman's face was mere inches from his, her lips were moving, she was speaking to him, but he couldn't hear her. All he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears.

He didn't even register when she leaned forward and claimed his lips with her own, a dominating kiss that seemed almost to suck the very essence of life from him, and she laughed softly when she wrenched the dagger from his gut and let him fall to the hard stones.

"What a pity, you actually would have made a nice mate, too," she hissed, stepping over his crumpled shape and clicking a few feet away. "But alas, you had to go and fall for that Nola girl, even though all those other men were fawning over her."

Dark looked up when she moved back to him, and their eyes met again.

"You just had to fall for that white-haired brat, when a perfectly good woman was walking by your side!" She growled, leaning down to stare into his eyes. Although he could feel himself slipping, Dark managed to pull himself up so that he could see her more clearly.

"Walking…beside me? I don't…I don't know you…" He managed to croak, falling back down to the cold stones, hands covered in his own purplish-black blood. She gave a sharp laugh and straightened herself with a tight-lipped smile.

"You really don't remember me? Ha, I knew you could be a little dense at times, but this is a little excessive!" She said, snarling. "I don't get how you don't remember me. I was your best friend until Nola showed up!"

With a shuddering groan, he looked at her face again. There were small details in her features that were familiar, but she still didn't strike a chord. She shook her head and then flicked her bangs out from in front of her forehead, revealing a small, curving scar. Although he was tired, his crimson eyes widened as the realization hit him.

"Myra? Wh-what…happened to you?" He asked in a hoarse voice. She laughed a sharp, pitying laugh and rested both hands on her hips, tapping her red fingernails on the velvety fabric of her dress.

"What happened? You have the audacity to ask _me_ 'what happened'?" she snapped, tapping his shoulder with the toe of her boot when he stayed silent, as if making sure he was still listening. "You and Nola! That's what happened! I was there when you proposed to that floozy, you threw my heart away like a piece of garbage! And then you walked away from me like I was invisible, you didn't even give me a passing glance!"

She stepped over him again and paced to the other side of the corridor.

"But then, just as you left, a man who actually _appreciated_ me appeared as if a beacon of hope in my darkest hour. He pulled me from my depression and unlocked my true magical potential, and this was the one thing he asked for in return, the death of a meddlesome 'hero' that was getting in his way. So why not exact my revenge on you and kill two birds with one stone?"

She stalked toward the bend, ready to leave him to his death when she stopped short. In the distance, she could hear a faint clicking sound, like a horses hooves on the stones. What could that be?

Pushing through the immense pain, Dark managed to drag himself up the stones so the he was slumped, upright, against the wall. He gasped when his fingers brushed against the wound, and with a weak turn of his head, watched as a large red horse rounded the curve, with two younger women walking at its sides.

Even through his bleary eyes, and even in his state, Dark could feel his weak heart jump into his throat upon seeing one of the women. Her white hair flowed around her shoulder blades and framed her softly curved figure. Crimson eyes that sparkled like rubies immediately darted in his direction, and he could hardly believe his own.

"N-Nola?" He managed to gasp, closing his eyes when the pain worsened again.

"Dark!" She cried, moving forward to run at him. The strange woman stopped her, the jewel-encrusted rapier had been drawn in a flash, and now the deadly tip was pointed directly at her throat.

"Hold it right there, brat." She hissed, jabbing the rapier closer. Nola put her palms up, and stared at the woman with wide eyes.

"Um…do I know you?" Nola asked, stepping back and bumping into Epona's chest. Lorelei moved the blade to point at Malon when she made a move.

"You can stop too."

Malon stopped short and glanced toward Epona's neck, where the Biggorons Sword hung in its scabbard. Discreetly, making sure that the woman didn't realize what she was doing, she inched closer to Epona with her hand already poised to wrench the heavy sword from the red sheath.

"You don't recognize me? Well, I guess I should have expected that. After all, you are _his_ fiancé!" the woman asked in a mocking voice, jerking her head back in Dark's direction. "You're the witch that stole him from me! He was mine until you showed up and _ravished_ him with your 'perfect' hair and 'feminine curves'!"

Malon slowly wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the sword, and while the woman's attention was completely on Nola, pulled with all her might, dragging the sword out of the scabbard with the grinding sound of metal-on-metal.

The woman jerked in her direction, and was immediately met with the tip of the silver blade of the Biggorons Sword.

None of them noticed as two more shapes slowly rounded the bend, stopping when they saw the horse and three women. Malon pulled the blade back and was about to ram the pommel into the woman's forehead, to render her unconscious when she was beaten to the punch. Somehow, by an unimaginable amount of stamina, Dark had managed to drag himself to his feat and limp, unnoticed, to the woman, delivering a severe blow to the back of her head.

"Dark!" Nola shouted as the woman fell into a crumpled heap, jumping past her and catching Dark before he too, fell. She eased him to the ground, propping him up against the wall and swiftly ripping his tunic from the wound. She cleaned the surrounding area with a corner of her dress.

"Malon, can you get Link down here? I need them side-by-side if I'm going to heal them both." She called, rubbing her palms together. She continued rubbing them together as Epona knelt down and Malon took Link by the shoulders, pulling him onto the stones and over to the wall. A familiar heat filled her hands and made them feel almost numb, a surefire sign that she had successfully activated her magic.

Malon laid Link on the stones beside Nola, removing the wadded-up shirt from the wound and wiping the excess blood from his wound as best she could. Looking at his face, Malon fought the urge to break down. Nola could save him. She _had_ to save him.

She didn't even dare to look when Nola put one hand on Link's wound, and one on Dark's. Instead, she rested her forehead against his neck, taking in his soft scent and loosing control, tears flooding down her cheeks.

A soft, guttural moan met her ears. She pulled away, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his eyelids flutter. His eyes opened, and, upon seeing her, a faint smile curled across his lips. The smile faded when Dark made a similar sound, and Malon could feel his muscles tighten when he gave a slight turn of his head, seeing who was lying next to him.

Dark slowly opened his eyes too, and turning his head to the side, was met by an angry pair of sapphire blue eyes.

"You!" Dark growled, ignoring Nola's cry and dragging himself to his feet. Link did the same, standing up despite Malon's attempt to keep him down. He grabbed the Biggorons Sword from the ground as he did and readied it, watching as Dark slowly edged toward him, his upper lip raised in a wolf-like snarl.

Both men staggered back when their respective fiancés grappled onto their chests, stopping them in their attempt to fight. Link stopped easily, and turned his attention to Malon, dropping his sword to the ground with a clang and instead wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Dark was a different story. Without even realizing what he was doing, he tried to remove Nola from her place in front of him and resume his attack on his Light-World counterpart.

"Dark! Knock it off!" she cried, grabbing his arms more firmly. "Look at me."

He did look down, and a look of utter bliss crossed his face for the first time in months. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him, pressing his lips to hers with a sudden ferocity that made her gasp.

They were all to focused on each other to notice when Lorelei drug herself back to her feet, eyes flaming with pent-up rage. She growled a curse and grabbed her sword from the ground. She ran at them, her rapier poised to cut them all down when a fifth person surprised her, grabbing her arms from behind and holding her where she stood. She screamed indignantly and whirled her head around to see who had captured her.

Her cries snapped everyone from their reverie, and they all turned to see the woman being held in place by a man with a white wrapping covering his head.

"Well, that was all very cute and all, but perhaps we should, oh, I don't know, take care of the crazy woman before we get all lovey-dovey?" The man said, grunting when the woman tried yet again to break free of his grip.

"Who in the hell are you?" Dark spat, holding Nola tighter. The man seemed almost to smirk, although it was hard to tell from under his facial wrap.

"Name's Sheik, now can someone please help me with this woman?"

Link reluctantly pulled away from Malon, and went over to help him restrain Lorelei, but stopped when his eyes met those of the woman behind Sheik.

"Long time, no see, little thief." She said, coming up to help Sheik with Lorelei. She took one of the woman's arms in her one hand while grabbing the back of her neck with the other, immobilizing the shadow with ease.

With cautious eyes, Malon stared at Sheik and the other white-haired woman. They were the same people she had seen in Kakariko Village, for some strange reason, they had decided to follow them.

"Why don't we just kill her and get it over with?" Dark suggested, grinning evilly and gently moving past Nola to glare at Lorelei. Sheik stopped him with a palm.

"You might not want to do that," he said in a calm voice. "This woman is that shadow of someone very important in the Light-World."

Link grabbed Dark by the shoulder when he ignored Sheik, the shadow gave him a dangerous look before turning his back and returning to Nola. Link nonchalantly examined the man with the facial wrap as he returned to Malon's side. He was obviously a Sheikah, with the red eye-and-teardrop design on the chest of his blue bodysuit, which made sense, since he was with Impa, Princess Zelda's handmaiden and last known survivor of the tribe.

_Hm, I guess Impa found another one of her kind._ He thought, closing one eye in a wince as Malon pressed against his side, unwittingly touching where the wound had been. Apparently, healing didn't take away the ache.

As Lorelei continued to struggle against Sheik and Impa, the two began, wordlessly, to drag her back down around the bend they had come from.

Epona gave a small whinny and moved out of the way as the three people passed her, and with one ear dropping in confusion, started after her two masters, and her two masters' look-alikes deeper into the stinky, dark tunnel…

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Lorelei growled, walking a bit more reservedly between her two captors. Sheik ignored her completely, but Impa responded.

"We're taking you where you belong." She said, suddenly grabbing the knob of an iron door off of the main hallway of the Shadow Temple and pushing the black haired woman inside. She hit the stone floor with a cry and rolled back to her feet, muscles tight and eyes blazing.

"You think you can lock me up in here?" the shadow hissed, smiling almost crazily. Then she broke out laughing. "My master will save me, and then I'll kill _all_ of you!"

Sheik moved forward to stand in the doorway, brandishing the harp.

"I'm afraid not." He said, strumming the harp with an expert hand and starting a tune. The song he played was soft and melancholic, seeming almost to be the very sound of the dead, and as he played, the crazed shadow began to howl as if in pain. A dark purple light began to encircle her, and she soon fell to her knees, clawing at the ground with her red nails. As the song winded down, she collapsed completely.

"What was that?" Malon asked quietly, clinging to Link's arm as Impa closed the iron door and locked it with a key that she had produced from a hidden pocket. It appeared to have an eye-and-teardrop handle, which easily distinguished it as a Sheikah key.

"That was the Nocturne of Shadows, a song that can entrap any Dark-World inhabitant in the Shadow Temple. It's the same song that was used on that one." Impa answered, pointing at Dark. His expression became somber at her words, and Nola nuzzled herself against him to try and comfort him.

"However," Sheik interrupted, turning to Dark and Nola. "Healing magic rids one of the song's effects."

Dark and Nola looked at one another, both of them with their eyes wide in disbelief. Unbeknownst to her, Nola had healed her fiancé of his wounds both physical and spiritual. Sheik rolled his eyes and Impa chuckled softly when Dark kissed Nola again, apparently making up for lost time.

Just as Impa was about to lead the group out of the temple, however, there was a loud sound that caught them off-guard, and they turned to see Dark holding a hand to his cheek and Nola with her arms crossed. She had slapped him.

"Ouch, what was that for, Nola?" He asked, staring, wide-eyed, at her. She harrumphed and rolled her own eyes.

"That, was for trying to replace me," she hissed, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms. "How could you do that? You proposed to me! That's an oath of loyalty!"

Dark let his head drop in shame, and reaching forward, he took Nola's hands. She glared at him, but didn't pull away.

"Nola, I'm sorry. I was summoned, my mind was clogged by the mission I was sent on, and by depression." He said, his voice pleading. Nola remained quiet, but didn't refuse when he took her cautiously by the shoulders as he started to follow Impa out of the Shadow Temple…

* * *

Dark squinted, not used to the bright yellow orb in the sky they called the "sun". But Nola led him confidently into the light, the bright rays glinting off of her hair and setting it agleam. The two of them hung back as their Light-World counterparts left, heading down the steep path and through the graveyard.

Nola glanced at Dark as he watched them go, and a knowing smirk crossed her face as she returned her gaze to the graveyard. Their next challenge was to find their way back home to the Dark World, but that could wait.

"Dark?" She asked in a purr, smiling when he looked over at her.

"Yes?"

Her eyelids lowered, framing her ruby eyes, and she smiled a mischievous smile.

"I'm pregnant."

Dark looked at her for a moment before her words sank in. His face went pale and Nola began to laugh as his expression changed from tiredness to shock, and as his jaw slowly fell agape.

"Really?" He asked, moving a few feet closer to her. She nodded coyly, and when he turned his gaze back to the horizon, she gave a small, playful cry and tackled him, pinning him on the soft grass and kissing his forehead. He sighed contentedly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto his chest in a tight embrace.

Nola settled herself on top of him, resting her head next to his and listening to his breath. Doing the same, Dark could feel himself slipping into sleep, at complete ease for the first time in months…

* * *

**K'ger: Ok, that was a LONG chapter! I told you last chapter that this one would be, "Long and exciting"! Bet you didn't believe me!**

**Shout out to Link'sLily! She drew some AMAZING fanart for this story!**

**And a shout out to Twiliwolf13, who is still working on her art! Looking forward to it!**


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